


The Adventure of Orange X with Commentary

by axemblue4



Category: Pikmin (Video Game)
Genre: Author Commentary, Commentary, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2018-09-12 06:57:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 98,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9060961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axemblue4/pseuds/axemblue4
Summary: Commentary for The Adventure of Orange X: The Way Between Realms by author axemblue4. Spoilers!





	1. Six Years Later with Commentary

  * **I never got a chance to talk about this story much, as it never had an audience. However, it's probably the fan project I've put the most thought into, and so there is a lot to say about it. So I'll comment on what I would like to as I go back over the story.**



 

**The Adventure of Orange X  
The Way Between Realms**

 

  * **There are two reasons for the titular designation of "X". I had already written an "Adventure of Orange 4", which I later cancelled, but I still considered relatively canonical. I decided from the beginning that this new story would proceed from The Adventure of Orange 3 in a different timeline of events within a different universe. Now, "X" is often used as a designation for an unknown numerical variable. Additionally, I've also seen "X" used as a designation for alternate universes in sci-fi.**



 

  * **I think the obvious takeaway from the subtitle is that it refers to the various parallel physical universes of the plot. However, there is also an intended double-meaning: it also refers to the spiritual planes of life and death, which is a major story theme touched upon in the first chapter that becomes increasingly more relevant to the plot later in the story, and finally is a heavy focus of one of the final scenes. (In additional to all of this, I realize now that a third meaning could be interpreted as referring to the realms of present reality and past memory, although this was not my original intention. There are a lot of meanings you could take from it.)**



 

**Part 1: Six Years Later**

 

  * **The Adventure of Orange 3 was concluded in early February of 2008, and the series for the first time went "off the air", with my having continually had it in production from chapter to chapter, story to story, since the first Adventure of Orange back in August 2005. By the time I decided to write The Adventure of Orange X in May 2014, it had been over six years since the third story ended, so I decided to reflect that within the narrative as well: for the characters, six years have also passed since the final battle.**



 

Orange stared in remembrance.

 

_The other Pikmin were holding him up at the battleground of the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress._

_Orange: I have already accepted my death. I would like to be finishing our task during my final minutes. Please, let's return to the fight._

 

  * **In my stories, I've sometimes used all italics as a technique to denote scenes of memory or flashbacks. This is something that goes all the way back to the first Adventure of Orange, specifically all of Part 10: The Flashback. Anyway, so that's what's going on here. The italicized moments are the memories Orange is reminiscing on.**



 

In present day, he was staring through a window.

 

_Green: Are you sure about this?_

_Orange: Yes. This will be... our last adventure._

 

In present day, he was in a chair in a little wooden house as he stared through the window.

 

_Orange: Let's go!_

_And the five of them ran towards the battling Pikavores and Pik Clones._

 

_~~~_

 

_The other four battled through the Pik Clones, but Orange could barely run a few more steps before he collapsed to the ground._

 

_~~~_

 

_Orange was carried on a stretcher away from the battle, barely conscious and seeing everything blurry._

 

_~~~_

 

_Orange lay on a bed in a tent as Wollywog Medics rushed to treat his wound, as everything continued to blur, as the light began to fade, as the sounds began to fade._

_Wollywog Medic #2: It's too severe. He's gone. It's been too late for half an hour now!_

_The other medics ignore him and continue._

 

  * **I had ended the original Adventure of Orange trilogy on a fairly dramatic note of Orange mortally wounded and the few survivors of the Pik Group gathered to head into battle, with no further follow-up on what happens after that. For a long time, that was the definitive ending to The Adventure of Orange series to me, with no direct continuation envisioned. I had always intended the next stories to follow a new generation of Pikmin centuries later, with the events of the original trilogy's ending being slowly unraveled over the course of the new trilogy. Since I scrapped the new trilogy and began work on a direct sequel after all, I felt it was important to immediately address what happened after the last moments of AoO3 (Adventure of Orange 3) as well as Orange's survival.**



 

  * **Some of the lines in Orange's memories here are copied directly from the ending of AoO3, Part 30: Countdown to Annihilation. However, the writing begins to change after Orange says "Let's go!". In the AoO3 Part 30 ending, the final line is "And the five raced out into the battlefield, to finish their final fight." In the current scene however, this moment is described as them running towards their combatants, and that's when the scene transitions from AoO3-written to newly-written. Also, I used the tildes here to denote momentary skips through the time frame of the battle.**



 

In the present day, Orange stared more intensely as he continued to remember.

 

_A brief image of his deceased friend and former leader, Red. Then it vanished as he saw his fellow living Pikmin standing over him. Green, White, Light Green, and Light Blue._

_White: It's a miracle._

_Orange's sight became more clear again as he looked up at his friends._

_Green: I never gave up on you, Orange._

_Light Blue: ...So he made it. Well, at least one of our injured survived this war._

 

  * **Orange has a fleeting memory of seeing Red during his near-death experience, though he does not fully remember the encounter until partway through story. When I first wrote this scene, I had always intended the story to revisit this in the final chapter after Orange has another deathly experience, with a lengthier interpersonal meeting between him and Red, with a deep conversation reflecting upon the central themes of Orange's journey, which is what ultimately happens in one of the final scenes.**



 

  * **White remarks that Orange's survival is miraculous. But this isn't merely a throwaway figure of speech within the narrative. The question of whether Orange's survival was truly miraculous - some handiwork of higher powers - is a theme of the story and a driving force in the plot later on.**



 

  * **Light Blue's remark shows the beginnings of his resentment towards Orange.**



 

In the present day, Orange finished recalling. He was sitting in a wheelchair. His injury had not immediately affected his ability to walk, but sometime between collapsing and nearly dying, the nerves controlling his legs gave out for good.

He wheeled away from the room.

 

  * **Given the grave nature of Orange's condition in the AoO3 ending, I felt that he should have faced a significant consequence of that. So I decided Orange would be paralyzed by the experience, preventing him from going on any more adventures, which, as was shown in the first three stories, was the primary skill and defining role of his life. So he has felt lost in the past six years, immobile and living mundanely, often reminiscing on the past.**



 

**ELSEWHERE**

 

White wore a hardhat as he used a pickaxe to chiseled through a rock wall, sensing fuel on the other side.

Lead Purple Pikmin Miner: Come on now, boys, we've got to get that fuel in the next two hours.

Other Pikmin as were with White, mining for fuel. This was now White's job. His skill for digging and sensing objects through earth gave him advantage in this job ahead of the other non-White Pikmin.

 

  * **I tended to be in a hurry to get chapters posted, so I often proofread little if it at all, a flaw of mine evident through the first three stories, and it carried over into this one as well, with little grammatical errors. "To chiseled" should be "to chisel", and "Other Pikmin as were with White" should be "Other Pikmin were with White".**



 

Just then, two Bulborbs entered the room and approached White.

Bulborb #1: Hello, Captain White. We're with the Bulborb Army.

White: Hello. Though I haven't gone by the title of captain in six years.

 

  * **Around after the time I finished AoO3, I began to notice harsh criticism on the script format that was popularly used in most all IGN Boards fan-fiction, which is where this series originated. Script started to become often derided and discouraged as an inferior format. I have several defenses for my continued use of it: a) it makes for quicker writing. It's only Pikmin fan-fiction after all, so I'll save the quotation marks format for something I'm actually going to make money off of. b) It makes for quicker reading. I personally don't read fan-fiction expecting a state-of-the-art novel, and I always found it quicker to get through a fun fan-fic if it's in script. c) It's just what I'm accustomed to for fan-fiction, and it's also traditional. I couldn't imagine an entry in AoO not written in script. d) I often imagine the stories I write as movies. I only wish I could capture more of a cinematic feeling - one thing I always wish I could add to The Adventure of Orange that is always apart of my imagining is a musical score, something generally classical and orchestral inspired by the likes of John Williams, Howard Shore, Michael Giacchino, et al.**



 

The two Bulborbs nodded.

Bulborb #2: Our captain wanted to speak with you on a special matter that he felt would be of interest to you.

White nodded and placed his pickaxe down.

 

**ELSEWHERE**

 

Light Blue was in a hospital, a medic there. He went to a room with a young sickly Yellow Pikmin.

Yellow Pikmin: I- *cough*... I don't have enough money to pay for medical treatment.

Light Blue smiled.

Light Blue: It's alright. My work is free of charge.

Light Blue placed his hand on her and transmitted his light energy into her body, healing her of her illness. She began to look much healthier immediately.

Yellow Pikmin: Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Light Blue smiled again.

Light Blue: It was nothing.

 

  * **In the original trilogy, characters tended to be less clearly developed and had fewer clearly distinguishing traits, an issue that always bugged me. Continuing from a writing advancement I set up in the Adventure of Orange 4, I decided to flesh out the cast better. I especially fleshed out Light Blue, who was among the more plain "extras" of the protagonists, and he was the only "extra" I had selected to survive the final battle.**



 

  * **Given the traumatic nature of Light Blue's loss of the other Light Pikmin, he trained himself in the years since AoO3 for medical skills, especially through his light energy, so that he could save more lives.**



 

He left the room. Outside, he met Bulborb soldiers.

 

**ELSEWHERE**

 

Orange heard a knock at his door. He wheeled over to the door, and opened it to see Bulborb soldiers there.

Bulborb #1: Good afternoon, Commander Orange!

Orange: ... Good afternoon.

Bulborb #1: We're with the Bulborb Army. Our commander wanted to speak with you, if you would come with us.

Orange blinked tiredly.

Orange: Alright then.

He wheeled out the door and down the ramp to the ground.

 

  * **Although the writing for this series has never been very sophisticated, it gets a little bit more so with each entry. In AoOX, I began to make more of a point to describe things like feelings, facial reactions, environments, etc. You'd be hard-pressed to find sentences like "Orange blinked tiredly" or descriptions like "down the ramp to the ground" in the earlier stories, and it's this sort of thing that was probably a big factor in why this story turned out so much longer than the others. However, I tried not to get too carried away in advancing the writing quality, so that it wouldn't turn what's really meant to be a fun story for me into more of a task that I just feel obligated to get through, which was an issue that arose after one chapter of Adventure of Orange 4. So the writing for AoOX, despite being a significant step up from AoO3, was actually deliberately a significant step down from AoO4.  
**



 

**ELSEWHERE**

 

Outside in a grassy area in the midst of the small Pikmin town, White and Light Blue awaited with the other Bulborb soldiers.

 

  * **The Adventure of Orange series, despite being based on the Pikmin games, has always taken its own sense of direction with its own sense of rules in its world. I brought a lot of elements from different genres into this series, and gave a more lifelike quality to the world than would be believable in the regular Pikmin series. Here you have Pikmin and Pikavores with more sophisticated intelligence, language, technology, and capacity for coexisting peacefully as allies. This is all of course a bit of a stretch in terms of plausibility with Nintendo's rendition of the Pikmin world. This prospect was partially critiqued by one of the readers of AoO3, who felt that the Pikmin creatures should not display so much intelligence that they can go on their own adventures without a captain such as Olimar. I have a few rationales for this, including: a) the aforementioned fact that I deliberately set this story in its own world with its own rules for the sake of telling the story I want to tell, b) that these Pikmin live a couple of hundred years after the events of the Pikmin series and may thus be a bit more advanced, and c) that from the first Pikmin game itself, Pikmin have shown they may have a capacity for more than we would think, given their use of futuristic technology like the Onion spaceships, as well as the fact that they are shown learning to fend for themselves after Olimar leaves in the game's perfect ending. Perhaps they have the potential, but need a catalyst. This was an idea I addressed in the opening narration of AoO4.**



 

White: Who all are you bringing here?

Bulborb Soldier #1: Not many. We tried to contact Light Green, but he is away.

White: Yes. He has been gone for some time on a personal quest in distant lands.

Bulborb Soldier #2: The only other one we're contacting at the moment is your old commander, Orange.

Light Blue: _Orange_?

Light Blue got slightly angered.

Light Blue: What do we need him for?

Bulborb Soldier #1: He was your leader! He coordinated the mission to conquer the Dark Pikmin and their Pikavore allies!

Light Blue: He got nearly everyone killed is what he did. I watched many friends die. I watched my closest friend, Pink, die, because of his poor coordination!

The Bulborb Soldiers exchanged awkward glances.

White: Ease up there, Light Blue.

Light Blue: I'm sorry. But it's the truth.

 

  * **In the final chapter of AoO3, following Pink's death, Light Blue comments in distraught, "Why are we always losing friends?" I felt that in the six years since then, he should be the character portrayed as the most visibly affected by the tragedies of the last story.**



 

  * **A significant question that crossed my mind in the years after writing AoO3 was whether the battle was truly worth fighting for the Pik Group. Orange led them in a war against the Dark Pikmin to defend themselves from being wiped out, and, especially in the final assault against the Bomb-Fortress, most of the them were killed anyway. It was something of a tragedy I think, and added to the darkness of the ending. The issue of the Pik Group's survival under Orange's leadership was also the centerpiece of the conflict of one of the last chapters, Part 28: One More Casualty. So I thought this whole issue should be a major subject of AoOX, and so it is especially conveyed early on through Light Blue's resentment towards Orange.**



 

  * **Going back to the first chapter of the first story, White was portrayed as a figure of reason and peacemaking. I felt these character traits should be exemplified in the new story as well. Even now, White is the only one between himself, Orange, and Light Blue who really has stayed emotionally balanced, and is trying to advise Light Blue to keep his cool about Orange as well.**



 

After several minutes past, Orange and the remaining Bulborb soldiers arrived.

White: Hello, Orange!

Orange: Hello, White.

Orange and Light Blue could barely exchange glances at each other. Orange was well aware that Light Blue had blamed him for the deaths of their fellow Pik Group members all these years.

Bulborb Commander: Good to have you all here!

They all turned to him.

Bulborb Commander: Commander Orange, Captain White, Doctor Light Blue...

 

  * **Although they were never referred to by these titles on-screen in AoO3, I thought that it would make sense that they each had some official title given their collaborations with the Bulborb and Wollywog armies.**



 

They each greeted him.

Bulborb Commander: So, let me cut straight to the point, because let's face it, we've all got places to be.

Orange looked down slightly in sadness for a split second but then looked back up, thinking of how he had nowhere to be.

Bulborb Commander: Ever since the Light/Dark Pikmin Wars ended six years ago, the Dark Pikmin's surviving forces and allies have scattered. The Bulbears, the Owls, the Snitchbugs, the Bloysters, and the Mamutas, all fallen into disarray, barely keeping order. They have, however, managed to maintain control of certain territories, and so we have been careful not to cross into them.

 

  * **The last stretch of chapters in AoO3 saw the Pik Group aligned with the Bulborbs and Wollywogs against the Dark Pikmin and their allies of Bulbears, Owls, Snitchbugs, Bloysters, and Mamutas. In the final chapter, all of the monarchs of the enemy forces were killed. So I imagine that in the past six years, conflict continued as the remnant forces scrambled to recuperate and survive against the united powers of the Pikmin, Bulborbs, and Wollywogs.**



 

They all continued to listen.

Bulborb Commander: One of our best agents... perhaps _the_ best, however, has recently gone missing on a covert mission in Mamuta territory.

White: You think he was caught?

Bulborb Commander: That's what we fear. It was very likely. Worst case scenario, they executed him. Best case scenario, they're holding him prisoner.

White: So... You want us to investigate? Rescue him, if possible?

The Bulborb Commander nodded. Orange started laughing.

Orange: In case you couldn't tell by the chair, I can't go on any sort of mission. You'd be best off with Green, he was the best warrior among us.

Bulborb Commander: That's the problem... Green is our missing agent.

 

  * **I liked the idea of how the surviving heroes are now all personally in very different places in the years following the the original trilogy. Now Orange and Light Blue are at intense odds; White is the only one with some balance in his life. Light Green is off on his own life. Green is missing in action. Also o** **n that note, only two of the characters from the original Pik Group of the first chapter of the first story remain here: Orange and White.**



 

A feeling of worry filled the three Pikmin.

Orange: ....I'm still in no position to be going on any missions, as you can see. So why did you bring me here?

Bulborb Commander: Because, you are in a position, as long as you're walking. You're the leader of the group who brought us all together, we Bulborbs, you Pikmin, and the Wollywogs, and the leader of the group who defeated the Dark Pikmin. You can walk... if he heals you.

The Bulborb Commander looked over to Light Blue. A look of discomfort overcame both Orange and Light Blue.

Orange: I'm afraid I can't be of use.

Orange started to turn his wheelchair away, but Light Blue quickly walked over to him and stopped him. Light Blue placed his hand down on Orange's side and filled him with the light energy. He then removed his hand.

Orange, feeling his legs again, slowly stood up. Everyone watched in awe.

Bulborb Soldier #3: The powers of Light Pikmin... They certainly are wondrous!

Orange looked to Light Blue in gratitude.

Orange: Thank you.

Light Blue's expression was still unenthusiastic, however.

Light Blue: Now you can go on another thrilling adventure, as always. That's what you got out of all of them, didn't you?

Orange's eyes were full of uncertainty and remorse, but also gladness for regaining use of his legs.

 

  * **One of the subjects of this story was about learning what Orange really gained through his adventures. In his resentment, Light Blue believes Orange simply took pleasure in the thrill of them, at the expense of everyone else. As such, it's an uncomfortable decision for him to heal Orange's paralysis, but he knows it will ultimately improve their chances of successfully mounting a quick rescue of Green in having Orange with them.**



 

White: Ahem... Let's not get sidetracked here.

Bulborb Commander: So, it's settled then! The three of you can go on this mission. Our forces are too large and easily spotted by the Mamutas, so we unfortunately cannot send any men to accompany you. But you three should be small enough to sneak through easily, just as Green did.

The Bulborbs handed them papers with maps outlining the Mamuta territory and Green's last known location.

Bulborb Commander: Good afternoon to you all.

The Pikmin and the Bulborbs saluted each other, and the Bulborbs left.

 

  * **As Bulborbs have no hands, I always visualize them using their mouths to move objects like the papers around. Similarly, I imagine they have some sort of different way of saluting one another rather than moving the sides of hands to their foreheads, although I didn't think through what it might be. Perhaps some gesture with their feet or faces.  
**



 

White: We got out of so many tight spots thanks to Green and those sword skills. Let's go find our old friend.

Orange: Yes. I can't imagine he's gone. It would take unimaginably more than some dimwitted Mamutas to take him out! Let's go find him.

Orange, White, and Light Blue nodded to each other and headed off for the Mamuta Territory to rescue Green.

 

**ELSEWHERE**

 

The Pik Clone leader, Commander Alpha, a Green clone, oversaw his troops in caverns. The Pik Clones now had a new silverish plating over the devices on their heads which kept them loyal to the Dark Pikmin. They came in colors of Orange, Green, Yellow, Blue, Brown, and Purple, as well as Bulbmin. They drilled through the rocks of the caverns.

 

  * **At the end of AoO3, the Dark Pikmin's Pik Clone forces contrasted with the forces of their Pikavore allies in that they continued to fight unflinchingly even after the Dark Pikmin were killed, whereas the Pikavores quickly succumbed to defeat following the deaths of the monarchs. The very last scene even depicts Orange's group heading out to fight the remaining Pik Clones. The Pik Clone soldiers are an indoctrinated and well-trained formidable force. I felt that they should naturally survive on into this story, still well at large and ever committed to the Dark Pikmin cause.**



 

  * **In AoO3, the Dark Pikmin had created the Pik Clones with metallic devices attached around their heads, affecting their brains. These devices were largely responsible for indoctrinating and controlling the Pik Clones' minds, a way of keeping them loyal to the Dark Pikmin. By Part 25: Pik Clone Capture, the heroes realized they could destroy the devices, freeing the Pik Clones from the Dark Pikmin's control, and opening up the possibility of bringing them over to their own side, which they did. In AoOX, it's described here that there is now a new additional silver plating encompassing the mind-control devices. This silver plating serves as an added guard against destruction. In the past six years, the Pik Clones figured out that the heroes can destroy the mind-control devices, so they ironically added extra shielding to keep themselves enslaved. That is how strongly the devices drive them to obeying the Dark Pikmin cause.**



 

Pik Clone Soldier #2: Sir, we are getting close. The crystals will soon be in our possession.

Commander Alpha: Good. Soon, we will be serving our masters once again, after this long time.

Although Green Pikmin did not have mouths, Commander Alpha made the expression equivalent to a grin.

 

  * **Commander Alpha was unique in being a distinguished character; in AoO3, Pik Clone Commanders were always described as just that, "Pik Clone Commanders", and so were nameless. But since Commander Alpha was going to have a bigger role, I felt he should have a proper name. So, the Pik Clones naturally designate him as Alpha, given that he is the alpha of the pack. Of the available varieties, I felt a Green Clone would naturally convey the best sense of ability and authority, especially given his genetic relation to Green, who was very skilled and was second in leadership after Orange.**



 

  * **Also interesting to note is that I described Greens as having no mouths here; in reality, I never described nor decided the unique bodily features of Orange Pikmin, Green Pikmin, or Brown Pikmin. A bit of a big oversight on my part in the writing of AoO1 and AoO2, especially as my fellow contemporary Pikmin adventure fic writers always thought to describe features with new Pikmin varieties. I thought about coming up with features for them in AoOX, however the series had gone on so long without any definitive features that I wasn't sure I could get used to envisioning them with any new ones by the time of writing this story. So I decided to leave it ambiguous, up to the reader's imagination. My own mind tends to be inconsistent with my imagining of them, sometimes imagining them with no features at all, and sometimes imagining their features borrowed from some of the other colors, but I would say most canonically that they don't have any of the same features already possessed by the other colors, regardless of whether such images erroneously appear in my own mind from time to time. Only Reds have noses; only Yellows have ears; only Blues have mouths; only Purples are fat and have pointy head hair; etc.**




	2. The Rescue with Commentary

**Part 2: The Rescue**

 

  * **For this chapter, I basically used the rescue arc as a quick McGuffin to get our characters back into adventure. This chapter was meant to reintroduce the characters and the readers to the sense of action and adventure from the earlier stories. A warm-up chapter of sorts.**



 

 

  * **This story continues a tradition for how Adventure of Orange stories open: establishing that a member or members of the Pik Group have been kidnapped, and Orange mounting a rescue mission (the exception to the rule being The Untold Stories of The Adventure of Orange which would not have kicked off with rescue missions). In previous the first three stories, the rescue took up a sizable chunk of the plot. Here, I chose to get it out of the way after one chapter.**



 

The journey to Green's last known location took about 2 days. Orange, with regaining the use of his legs, found the journey very invigorating and used his legs as often as possible, always standing during breaks. He, White, and Light Blue headed northeastward from the little town in the Pikmin Region. They crossed a river via paddle boats and quickly made it into the Mamuta Territory. The section they would be crossing to find Green's last known location was largely a rocky and barren outstretch of land.

Using the maps that the Bulborbs had given them, they were able to cut around where the Mamutas' patrol perimeter. With their smaller size, they were able to eventually sneak past the perimeter undetected until they eventually arrived at the coordinates of Green's last known location. Green had transmitted a message from this location, reporting his coordinates before he went missing.

 

  * **I began to make the adventuring more descriptive starting around AoO4. Back in the original stories, these two paragraphs would have probably just been summed up with "they arrived at the Mamuta territory and wandered for a little while until they found the camp". But here I began to use more descriptions of details such as the passage of time, environments crossed, characters' moods, their thoughts, their energy, their actions, and their appliances used.**



 

White: Alright, so I suggest we circle around this area to find any Mamuta camps which may be holding him captive.

Orange: It'd be better if we split up, that way we can cover ground more quickly.

Light Blue: Splitting up is suicide. We'll just end up captured or killed.

Orange: I think we can hold our own.

Light Blue: No. If Green couldn't hold his own, we certainly can't.

White: I agree with Light Blue. We need to stick together.

Orange nodded in concession.

 

  * **As set up in the first chapter, Orange and Light Blue have an uneasy relationship due to Light Blue's perception of Orange's reckless leadership and strategizing, while White remains more balanced and open to hearing both perspectives before choosing a stance. By the end of AoO3, Orange had grown very headstrong, hardhearted, and no-nonsense in his leadership, determined to act quickly with risk, struggle, and sacrifice to ensure the defeat of evil. But in the past six years, Orange has mellowed out through his mundane life in the wheelchair and a lot of pastime spent reflecting on the past. Now he's sort of fallen from his assumed position of leadership among his companions, and isn't too eager to push his opinions.**



 

So the three circled around the area, continuing to look for camps. In the past 2 days, Orange and Light Blue's relationship had not improved. The animosity lingered between them as Light Blue often opposed Orange's suggestions, which he believed were needlessly risky and dangerous. Light Blue believed that Orange let his thirst for the thrill of adventure cloud his judgment. Orange, on the other hand, thought that Light Blue lacked the leadership ability or courage to take better directions. White stood somewhere in the middle of their two ideologies and was able to get along well with them both.

After about a day of circling the area, the three spotted a camp at nighttime. They left their maps on the ground so they would be able to use their hands to greater use, and felt that they now had a good enough idea of the landscape to find their way back without the maps.

With Mamutas wandering about, the three carefully sneaked around the tents, peeking inside them for any sign of a captive Green. Light Blue was not wrong about Orange -- he was indeed enjoying this, being back adventuring in the midst of danger after years of being forced to sit in seclusion. However, he made sure not to let the thrill get the better of him and get them caught.

White soon spotted something in a tent and whispered to the others to look. It was a Mamuta showing off a sword to others and swinging it around. They recognized it as none other than Green's sword.

 

  * **Like I said in the previous chapter, I sometimes took a little liberty with the rules of what's possible in The Adventure of Orange, diverging from the original Pikmin games. Mamuta's hands in the video games appear to be pretty solid round fists for pounding. But I figured, maybe they have some slight fingers clenched inward that we don't see in the games. So they can grab and hold stuff in the AoO stories.**



 

White: That's definitely Green's sword, so he's at this camp. But he's not in this tent.

Orange: Alright. You two are Light Pikmin, so use your powers to get that sword. I'll go find Green.

Light Blue: Wait!

But Orange was already gone.

White: My light powers are barely honed. I won't be of much help.

White Pikmin were a light version of Gray Pikmin, and thus possessed the light energy that the other Light Pikmin possessed. However, this was a secret to most of the Pikmin populace, including the Whites themselves. Most Pikmin were not aware or at least not very knowledgeable of the light-neutral-dark dynamic. Usually, only one of each color of Light Pikmin and Dark Pikmin existed in generation. The surplus White population was thought by the Light Pikmin to be due to a natural accident of lightning striking Light Crystals and scattering their energy across nearby Gray Candypop Buds.

 

  * **As would be learned late in this story, this theory was mistaken and there was actually a different reason for the existence of White Candypop Buds.**



 

Light Blue, who was raised and had lived among the main group of Light Pikmin, was properly trained to use his light energy, though he mainly specialized in healing rather than attack. He knew he would have to use his powers to somehow get a hold of Green's weapon.

Light Blue: Are we sure we shouldn't just leave the sword?

White: Only as a last resort. We'd be dishonoring him to not try.

Light Blue: Alright.

Light Blue hesitantly sneaked his hand into the tent and launched a small bit of light energy towards the hand of the Mamuta swinging the sword around. This caused him to drop it.

Mamuta #1: Whuhhh? How did that happen...

Mamuta #2: Mine now! MINE!

The five or so Mamutas in the room each began to grab for the sword and try to tug it out of each other's grasp. Light Blue shook his head at the simple-mindedness of the Mamutas.

 

  * **I always portrayed Mamutas as oafish and dim-witted, based on my stereotyping of their appearance. I also portray them using a lot of uhh's in their speech.**



 

Elsewhere, Orange continued to search until he found it: A green stem sticking out of the ground. Orange felt relieved to see his old friend was still alive. He grabbed the stem and yanked hard until Green popped out of the ground. Green picked himself up.

Green: Orange!

He gave Orange a firm handshake.

Green: It is good to see you, Orange. Thank you for pulling me out.

Orange: It's no problem, Green.

 

  * **This moment reintroduces their friendship. I viewed them as best friends in AoO3, and Green was often the only one to remain loyal to Orange in controversial decisions. I thought it was important to set this up, contrasting with the final chapters of the story when two are in conflict.**



 

Green: And... you're standing upright?

Orange: Light Blue healed me.

Green looked surprised.

Orange: Yeah, things are still not good between us. But he, White, and I have come here to get you out of this mess!

Green: Well, we'd best get out of here.

Orange: By the way, how did you manage to get trapped in the ground by a bunch of dimwitted Mamutas?

Green: Well, my sword doesn't do so well against their stone bodies. I became surrounded by them. I managed to trick them at first, telling them I had been brought there by their commanders for sport so they could take turns trying to punch me in the ground for a game. Well, I managed to evade the first few poundings, but then they grew impatient and began pound wildly all together until I eventually got hit.

 

Back with Light Blue and White, the five Mamutas had broken out into a fight which had carried away from the dropped sword. Light Blue attempted to sneak into the tent. He picked up the sword. Just then, one of the Mamutas happened to turn around.

Mamuta #3: Whuh? A light blue Pikmin?

Light Blue ran out of the tent.

Mamuta #3: ALARM!!!

This yell carried across the camp and so a Mamuta activated the alarm, which blared loudly and got the attention of all the Mamutas at the camp. Light Blue handed White the sword and the two ran as the Mamutas pursued them. Orange and Green similarly picked up their own pace, realizing there was trouble.

While White and Light Blue ran, Light Blue attempted to hurl back balls of light energy to attack the Mamutas. He succeeded in hitting some of them, but other throws were misses. Light Blue used a good portion of his energy, which was limited, in doing this. As the Mamutas gained on them, White saw Orange and Green ahead. White threw the sword to Green, who caught it by the handle.

Green charged forward and stabbed the nearest Mamuta in the shoulder and then with a struggle pulled the sword out as the stone creature groaned. The Mamutas' stone bodies were difficult to penetrate with the sword and to pull it out, and it would cost the Pik Group a bit of time, but it was still effective if a Mamuta got too close.

The four of them ran from the surrounding Mamutas until they came to a fence. They seemed trapped as the Mamutas grew closer, but White noticed a soft patch of sand at the fence. Realizing he could dig under the fence, he got to work. Light Blue used his light energy on the sand to further soften it and make White's digging easier.

Mamuta Captain: CAPTURE THOSE PIKMIN! GO GO GO GO GO!!!

 

  * **I include a lot of subtle homages to my various favorite fictions throughout my writing of the AoO series, though I won't necessarily point them out in this commentary. Often the homages are to already obscure moments and elements. But two examples thus far: 1) The Mamuta who yelled "ALARM!!!" is a little homage to a moment in Indiana Jones when a Nazi officer sees the heroes and yells the same thing in high-pitch (ironically, the Mamuta has a much lower voice in my imagining). And 2) The Mamuta Captain shouting "GO GO GO GO GO!!!" is an homage to a moment in Lost when a drill instructor shouts this at a character.**



 

Green and Orange ran around the Mamutas to distract them from White and Light Blue, dodging their poundings and attempting to attack back with a sword stab or a stem whack. Light Blue's energy soon ran out and White had to continue on digging without the help of the light energy. However, White had dug enough so that the other Pikmin could now help out.

White: Come on, everyone! Help me dig!

Light Blue joined in digging. Orange and Green hurried over and helped dig quickly, until a burrow was made in the ground. The Mamutas pounded at the hole that had been dug but the Pikmin were now too far in for them to reach. After a few moments, the Pikmin successfully dug their way to the other side of the fence. They then hurried away from the fence, off to the uninhabited land ahead in the distance.

They eventually got far enough that they felt it was safe to stop and take a breather. Green took this time to greet and thank White and Light Blue as well.

Light Blue: Well, it's time we get out of the Mamutas' territory.

Light Blue turned to Orange.

Light Blue: You, in particular, were reckless, leaving the group like that.

Orange: I rescued Green.

Light Blue stared sternly but silently.

 

  * **This little dynamic basically is meant to leave the audience to wonder whose side to support. Orange's approach seems to yield both negative and positive results over time, and Light Blue calls him out for the negative consequences, while Orange supports his positive accomplishments.**



 

Green: Ahem, I don't mean to interrupt this bit of drama, but there's a pressing matter at hand. You see, I can't leave this territory yet.

Light Blue: Why not?

Green: My mission. While I was here, I gained intelligence that the Mamutas are planning to investigate an abandoned fortress north of here. But if they find weapons there, that would mean bad news for us and our allies.

White: What fortress?

Green: They're not totally sure who the fortress belonged to. It's atop a small mountain in this territory.

Orange: Mountain climbing. That sounds exciting!

Light Blue glared at Orange.

Green: Well, hopefully, the owners of the fortress had an easier way to get access inside.

White: Alright. We'll help you investigate, Green.

Green: Thank you. I greatly appreciate it.

Orange: It's like old times!

Light Blue: For better or worse...

So the Pik Group of four took a rest. When they awoke the next day, they followed Green's lead. Orange, filled with nostalgia, recounted their previous adventures while on the journey to the fortress. White enjoyed recounting them as well. Light Blue was less enthusiastic about their previous adventures, but still thought fondly of a few memorable moments, often involving his now deceased closest friends, the other Light Pikmin. Green was mostly silent and focused more on the journey to the fortress.

Before midday, they noticed the small mountain very clearly ahead, with the fortress atop. The fortress was very large in both height and width, and had a technological appearance to it as a combination of many silvery and white metals made up its structure. It was very old and worn-down in its appearance as well. But its most notable feature was a tall spire which stood up from the middle of the fortress.

The group carried onward until they reached the base of the mountain at about sunset. They spent the rest of the sunlight searching around the base for a staircase or some climbable rock wall. However, the fortress was so large that parts of the bottom of it stretched out over the edge of the mountain slightly. If there was some entrance to climb up to, it would have to lead up through the fortress floor.

Night fell, and they eventually found something of interest: A silvery metal structure in the mountain's wall leading up towards the fortress but not very wide. At the bottom of it appeared to be closed doors and a few buttons.

Green: It appears to be an elevator, perhaps.

Then, suddenly...

Mamuta Captain: Hold it right there!!!

They all jerked their heads back. They could see a group of about twelve Mamutas behind them.

Mamuta Captain: You led us straight to the entrance, you punks! We've been following you the whole day. We're a lot smarter than you arrogant bunch of plantheads!

They must have been distant enough so that the Pik Group couldn't see them, and had been using binoculars or some other tool to track them.

The Pik Group also noticed the Mamutas held slingshots with them. Light Blue held out his hands to send a burst of some of the light energy which had recharged in his body the past day, but a Mamuta soldier quickly pelted him with a rock from his slingshot, knocking him down. White quickly helped Light Blue up, who was conscious but a bit too dazed to attack.

Mamuta Captain: Now, why don't we all go inside and investigate this fortress together. With you punks as our captives, of course! HAH!

The Mamuta soldiers all laughed.

Green: We'd best comply with them.

Green whispered to Orange and White.

Green: We'll think of a way out of this.

Orange clicked an up-arrow button on the elevator, opening it. He and the other Pikmin entered, followed by the Mamutas, who could all barely fit in. The elevator doors closed, and the crowd felt as the elevator began to move upwards.

 

  * **I'll admit, I wondered about the plausibility of 12 Mamutas, these large rock creatures, all fitting in an elevator together. And as it turns out, there would be more instances of large groups riding elevators later in the story. These are probably the sorts of details I don't think Pikmin fan-fiction readers are going to pay much attention to, but as I always have a sort of cinematic vision of these scenes, I like to visualize them. Just as well, I tried to put more thought into the details and logic of AoOX than my previous entries. So I rationalize that these elevators were perhaps somewhat large, maybe to accommodate transportation of large equipment.**




	3. Spire Fortress with Commentary

**Part 3: Spire Fortress**

 

The elevator moved up quickly. The whole crowd waited in anticipation of what they would find in the fortress.

White: You know, this place probably gets struck by lightning a lot. Made of metal? With that tall spire at the top? That's got to be dangerous.

Green: They likely built some conductor or insulator into the fortress to prevent danger to its inhabitants.

The Mamuta Captain shook himself (as one would shake their head).

Mamuta Captain: You Pikmin think too much.

 

  * **Just a little scene inserted to basically do what I mentioned at the end of the last chapter, to give an in-story rationalization for little things the readers probably don't think about. It also perhaps highlights that the Pikmin are more intelligent than the Mamutas.**



 

After 10 or so minutes, the elevator finally came to a stop and the doors opened. The crowd of Pikmin and Mamutas stepped out into the fortress.

 

They were all awed by what they saw. A vast room white room that stretched far upwards, with several bridges leading to higher floors in the same room, and a large window stretched across most of the ceiling, showing the stars in the night sky. Statues and images in the walls of Spectralids were spread across the room. Across the walls were many long screens each mostly blank except to display some wavy green lines. Also on the walls were small holographic projectors displaying holograms of various objects of many shapes and sizes. Long cords stretched around the large room as well. The humming of the power surging through the fortress could be heard as well as various kinds of computerized sounds. At the ends of the room were open corridors and open and closed doors which led to other parts of the fortress.

There were also, however, signs of damage in some places. Blast marks, dents, and scars in the walls and flooring. Some cords which were tangled and some which appeared to be snapped. A few statues were missing parts, with some chunks of the stone or metal they were made of scattered on the floor close by. A couple of screens were cracked and damaged, a couple of holographic projectors were only projecting a partial image or nothing, and a couple of bridges had been broken. Many of the damaged places, however, were being repaired by small, floating brown drones which were using their short arms to use tools to repair the damage as well as carry debris.

Which brought the next thing about the fortress to the Pikmin and Mamutas' attention: The drones which populated the place. A flying drone in the shape of a Spectralid passed by and sighted them with the green light it emitted. After that, the rest of the drones in the fortress started to come to life and turn their attention towards the crowd of intruders. The Pikmin and the Mamutas did not have enough time to get a good look at the different kinds, theu only saw the different shapes and sizes heading towards them in attack, with their bodies making various mechanical clanking noises or computerized-like sounds as they approached.

Orange: I think we need to go.

Mamuta Captain: This is what we came for! Capture those weapons, troops!

A couple of Mamutas headed towards the coming security drones, but were quickly decimated before they could put up a fight.

Mamuta Captain: Slingshot them!

The Mamutas started launching rocks at the drones, which did nothing to affect them. The four Pikmin quickly dashed away from the crowd as the group of drones came into contact and clashed with the Mamutas. Chaos broke out into the room.

The Pik Group could barely think about what to do. As drones came from all directions, the four began to find themselves separated. The room was filled with the sights and sounds of mechanical slams and bursts of energy being launched, as well as the yells of Mamutas as rocky chunks of their bodies went flying across the room and their round purple ghosts floated upward.

 

Light Blue, who was now lucid again, saw a very large, bulky, muscular-looking drone approaching him, swinging its fists and making loud thuds with its heavy footsteps. Light Blue fired light energy towards it, which seemed to make it stop for a second. But then it continued again, faster than before.

Light Blue: They just absorb the light energy!

 

Elsewhere, White found several round hovering drones which had balls of electrical energy at the top and a nodule on the front, which the drones launched electrical currents from. White barely dodged a barrage of electrical currents and began to run. One of the muscular large drones attempted to slam him as he ran past, but White was quick enough to avoid being hit.

 

Orange saw a spider-shaped drone running across a wall. It leaped from the wall onto the floor and ran towards him. He dashed away from it until it leaped on a Mamuta and began to stab into his body with the pointed tips of its legs.

 

Green was approached by a tall drone which carried a staff. It attempted to whack him with the staff, but he dodged and so it hit another staff drone instead. The hit drone suddenly started writhing as a humming could be heard from the staff and electrical sparks began to emit from it and scorch through the hit drone's chest. Green realized that the staff were charged with electrical currents, and so he was glad he didn't attempt to defend against the staff with his sword.

The attacking drone then turned towards him again. Green slashed his sword into its chest. He quickly let go as electric sparks began to fly from the drone's chest and sent an electric shock through his sword, which scorched him slightly. The drone fell over, disabled, and Green pulled the sword back out.

 

Orange barely dodged as a running Mamuta nearly stomped over him. The Mamuta leaped in front of a downed comrade to protect it against the whack of a staff drone. The staff cracked through the Mamuta, and the drone then proceeded to attack the injured comrade next. Orange then spotted a closed vent near by.

He got the attention of a muscular drone and led it towards the vent. It attempted to strike him, but he barely dodged and so it hit the grate of the vent instead, breaking it open. Orange then led it away from the vent, and yelled for the other Pikmin to come.

Amidst the fighting, Green, White, and Light Blue managed to get through and reached Orange's location. Orange waited and stood guard as the three each went through the shaft, and then he went in lastly. They crawled through for a couple of minutes until they arrived at another vent, which was open, that led to a room empty of drones. The four crawled out.

 

  * **This sequence was bit of a new level in writing description in the AoO series. I wanted to convey a sense of atmosphere, history, and emotion: technological marvel, ruin from battle, a sense of adrenaline. There was never really quite a moment like this in the series before now.**



 

This new room was small, with a table with buttons, a dead gray-colored Spectralid lying on its back, and a closed mechanical door that seemed disabled (because a small hatch above it was opened and the cords inside appeared snapped).

Light Blue noticed Green's slightly scorched body.

Light Blue: You shouldn't risk fighting against electrical attackers, you know. You're not a Yellow.

Green: It only shocked me slightly, not enough to electrocute me.

White: Light Blue, how do you think this Spectralid died?

Light Blue examined the body for a couple of minutes.

Light Blue: It... appears that he died of starvation.

White: It's almost as though he hid in here. But why would he hide from its own security drones? The fortress was full of Spectralid imagery, so I'm guessing this was their fortress.

Light Blue: It is curious.

Orange looked at the table in the room.

Orange: I think this is a holographic projector.

He pressed a button on the table, and suddenly, a hologram of a Gray Spectralid was emitted from the table.

Gray Spectralid Hologram: Hello. I am Au-Thr, the director of Spire Fortress.

The four Pikmin all watched. The Spectralid in the recording had a bright and enthusiastic demeanor.

Au-Thr Hologram: Spire Fortress was originally built as a military stronghold for the Gray Spectralids. Using our best combative minds, we developed drones for use in battle.

The hologram changed to a video of a muscular drone crushing a Bulborb under its fists.

Au-Thr Hologram: We devised the best military drones in the world to secure the peace of our people.

The hologram then began to display drones. Starting with the one which was anthropomorphic, large, bulky, and muscular, with white eyes.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Strongdrone, made to use its immense strength in combat.

A drone similar to the Strongdrone, but a bit taller and less bulky.

Au-Thr Hologram: A second model of the Strongdrone recently made for more efficient combat, though a bit less powerful.

A massive Strongdrone which was unmoving and had an arm missing and parts of wiring shown in places.

Au-Thr Hologram: A third model is also in the works.

The anthropomorphic, tall, thin, green-eyed drone with a staff.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Staffdrone, which uses its electrically-charged weapon to guard the fortress.

The gray spider-shaped drone with eight small red eyes.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Arachdrone, designed to crawl on walls and ceilings and crush and pierce through its targets by wrapping its legs around them.

A massive-looking Arachdrone was shown next with nodules on its legs.

Au-Thr Hologram: Aracholossus, originally designed as a much larger Arachdrone, it now guards a critical part of the fortress.

The small, floating drone with a nodule on the front and an electrical ball at the top.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Jolter Drones, designed for aerial combat and to attack with electrical currents.

A black drone with a round front with a single red eye and two rows of spikes in a opening that appeared similar to teeth in a mouth, an elongated thin body with fins, and a wavy tail.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Aquadrone, designed for underwater attack.

A small, floating drone in the shape of a silver sphere with a dark gray pyramid atop.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Signal Drone, designed to emit signals that will interfere with transmissions and the operation of computerized programs.

The small, brown, floating, cube-shaped drone with small arms.

Au-Thr Hologram: The Repair Drone to mend the damage endured by the fortress and the combative drones.

A drone in the shape of a Spectralid.

Au-Thr Hologram: A Camera Drone designed to be the eyes of the fortress's computer mainframe...

A screen with a Spectralid on it.

Au-Thr Hologram: Spire Controlling Unit, or SCU. He is in charge of maintaining the mechanical operations of the fortress. He also stores a library of knowledge in his database for the access of the fortress inhabitants. And finally, he manages the recharging of energy into the drones.

 

  * **In this monologue, there is a mix of foes the heroes have just faced as well as ones they've yet to face. The Strongdrone Models 2 and 3 as well as the Signal Drone would not be seen until Part 7: Greetings from Spire Controlling Unit (SCU), and the Aquadrone and the Aracholossus would not be seen until Part 17: Orange vs. SCU.**



 

  * **On that same note, this is the first mention of SCU, the supercomputer who runs the fortress, who would be a bit of a major antagonist in some later chapters.**



 

  * **I believe I had originally intended his name to be an abbreviation of "Spire Control Unit" as was written in my original outline plans for the story, though during this moment, I think I had unknowingly added the suffix "-ing" to "Control", changing it to a present participle. I'll admit, in retrospect I sort of wish I had stuck with the original noun, "Control", for convenience's sake, but once I had written it this way, I stuck with it for the rest of the story. The reason being, I originally posted this story on IGN Boards, where there is a limited time to edit posts. Basically, in my mind, once I'd posted a chapter and the edit time was up, that iteration of a chapter was now the definitive canon. So in a way, writing this story was sort of like writing scripts for a TV series I imagine, as I couldn't really go back an amend issues in earlier entries, and so I might try to look for ways to amend them in later chapters instead.**



 

  * **On the same subject of minor details changed in the planning, here it's mentioned that the Aracholossus has nodules across its legs. I originally wrote this with the intention that these could fire little laser blasts, making it a very formidable foe. Later in the story when we finally meet it, I believe I changed it so that the nodules are just sensors to detect intruders, I think for the sake of saving time from a big, difficult battle.**



 

The hologram then showed Au-Thr again.

Au-Thr: But since that time, we have moved on in our endeavors. The Spire Fortress is now used for groundbreaking scientific work, and the drones serve to keep the fortress secure.

A round, shiny crystal is shown.

Au-Thr: A very rare crystal, which we call the Rift Crystal, has the capacity to to tear rifts through the fabric of spacetime if properly charged with electrical energy. It will allow us for literally worlds-changing work.

The Rift Crystal is shown situated on a rod. Around the rod is a large silver dome which is half-opened, with nodules around the interior.

Au-Thr: By surging energy from the nodules of the Portal Dome into the Rift Crystal, we will be able to open a rift to other dimensions. We will be able to explore many universes in our quest for knowledge.

Au-Thr is shown again.

Au-Thr: And thus this concludes the presentation for the Spire Fortress. May we all be bestowed great knowledge!

The image of Au-Thr vanished, and in his place, the words "PRESENTATION" appeared, and beneath it, letters, numbers, and other characters which the Pikmin did not understand. They assumed that perhaps it was basic information about the recording which only the Gray Spectralids would have been able to discern.

Orange: Other dimensions, huh? It's no wonder these drones are guarding the place so heavily.

White: But that doesn't explain why the Spectralid starved to death in here, or where the rest of them went.

Orange began pressing buttons to move through recordings until he arrived at the last one, "UNTITLED". He pressed the button to show it. Another Gray Spectralid appeared, which they recognized as the one that lay dead near them. He had a horrified demeanor.

Su-Vr Hologram: To anyone who may find this... I am Su-Vr, and I may be the last Gray Spectralid.

He sounded almost panicked in his voice.

Su-Vr Hologram: We... we should have never opened the portal. The Shadow Race came through... They infested our fortress quickly. They corrupted our drones against us! They killed us off quickly. A... a group of us managed to divert them back into the portal... a-and shut it off. They are back in their homeworld... but our machines still raged war against us. I managed to... hide in this room... and disable the door. I don't know how long I'll have to hide... Will they find a way in here? The entrance level of the fortress is the most heavily guarded... but I couldn't activate the Destination... It wouldn't work... I could only go this way... They stand watch over the vents all the time... I can't get out... ... I can't get out...

 

  * **So, this entire sequence of holographic recordings was designed to download a lot of mythology to the story. Something I had been very interested in doing in The Untold Stories of AoO was portraying an elaborate mythology arc across those stories. So this was something I did for AoOX instead. This scene unravels a lot of key mythology that would define this story's plot. The portal between universes, the Rift Crystal, and the scourge of the Shadow Race, all central pieces of this story, first introduced here. And this is overall the purpose of this chapter: after two chapters of setting and warming up the plot, to establish of the core mythology of the story as a whole.**



 

  * **Su-Vr's hologram also makes the first mention of a minor mythology detail, the "Destination", which the characters would later learn is a teleportation device. Although never revealed in the story, the reason Su-Vr was unable to use the device was because the Shadow-corrupted SCU had deactivated in an effort to trap the Spectralids in the fortress to their doom.**



 

  * **I had actually not named the Spectralids randomly, but rather named them for their roles in the story. "Au-Thr" is derived from "authority" as he was in charge of the fortress, and "Su-Vr" was derived from "survivor".**



 

  * **Fantasy and mythology writers often seem to derive a lot of inspiration from their favorite stories, and I will say that this applies to me as well. This story is packed with a combination of ideas inspired from various video games, films, television, and literature. I will admit, a big influence in AoOX's story was derived from the story of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. If you've played that game, you may notice a lot of similarities to that game and this chapter. I borrowed several concepts, though utilizing them in my own way, out of a desire to recapture certain feelings I got when playing that game. MP2's story involves a planet that is split into a light dimension and dark dimension, with a race of creatures from the dark dimension invading and infesting the light dimension and killing off the indigenous intellectual anthropomorphic moth-like race (who are often named for in brief syllables, e.g. U-Mos), taking over the bodies of creatures they killed, launching the planet into a war as both races travel through portals. There is also a fallen fortress filled with an assortment of combat robots which were corrupted by the dark creatures. Some of the combat drones are big and muscular, and some are spider-like, including a giant one fought near the end of that portion of the game.**



 

  * **I'll admit, some of this may come a bit too close to what could be considered a "ripoff" to some, but there you have it. AoO stories were always meant to borrow from video games and capture a gaming feeling. I feel there are some noteworthy differences, however. The Spectralids are actual moths from the Pikmin games, not anthropomorphic. They also were killed off fairly immediately, rather than through a long, drawn-out war. There is only one portal, which functions in a unique way with a unique power source, which they designed in scientific endeavor, which inadvertently unleashed the Shadow Race. The Shadow Race looks more akin to little dark wisps, rather than spiders/jellyfish like MP2's Ing race. The Shadow Race also has its own unique arc that's unraveled across the story - for example, most of them were sealed back into the Shadow Realm, whereas the Ing remained active traveling through both worlds. While Spire Fortress was heavily inspired by MP2's Sanctuary Fortress, it has its own distinguishing details, including the presence of a supercomputer, which was absent from MP2's fortress. While a couple of drones were inspired by MP2 (Strongdrones were inspired by Ing Smashers, Arachdrones/Aracholossus were inspired by Quads/Quadraxis), most of them were unique imaginings, though often inspired by other sources (e.g., the Staffdrones were sort of inspired by Revenge of the Sith's MagnaGuards). Sanctuary Fortress was designed mainly to protect the Luminoth from the Ing invasion, while Spire Fortress was originally for general military purposes which were later repurposed for guarding the Spectralids' sensitive scientific work. I could go on, but I think this paragraph has gotten a bit long. In short, you'll find that a lot of the concepts from this chapter were borrowed from MP2, but revised with their own distinguishing attributes.**



 

  * **In his recording, Su-Vr mentions that the Spectralids managed to lure the Shadow Race back through the portal and sealed them. I don't believe the details of this last-ditch diversion were ever explained in the story. I think it can be presumed that the security drones killed off what was left of the Spectralids in the fortress afterwards. It's also worth noting that they don't seem to be aware that some of the Shadow Race had already moved out of Spire Fortress, so there are still some lurking in this world. I'll say more about all of this in more relevant chapters.**



 

The recording ended. A grim feeling overcame the Pik Group. But Orange remained optimistic.

Orange: These Spectralids were scientists, not fighters. We can make it out of here. We can fight.

White: We don't stand a chance against the drones. We barely made it here.

Orange: Light Blue, what about your light energy?

Light Blue: It only charged the drone further when I used it on one.

Green had a thought.

Green: But in the hologram, the director Spectralid said that the fortress's computer maintained recharging the drones. That means they don't simply go to an electrical outlet until they're maximally recharged... The computer maintains the energy being charged into them. That means, if they were charged too much, they could be damaged.

Light Blue: I don't know that I have that much energy within me.

Orange: It's our best option. White, you have light energy as well.

White: I can barely use it.

Orange: But you can use it, if only a little. If you transmit your energy into Light Blue's, you can enhance his power further. Here's what we need to do: We each stand behind Light Blue. I hold one of his arms, and Green holds the other. White stands between us and transmits his energy through Light Blue. We all spin Light Blue around to damage the surrounding drones and make our way back to the entrance.

The other three stood pondering for a moment.

Light Blue: There has to be a better way.

Green: I can't think of one.

White: There's a considerable risk this won't work.

Orange: It'll work!

They stood for a few moments longer thinking it over until they finally agreed. So they made their way back through the ventilation shaft and back to the large entrance room.

Immediately, the drones went into attack. As per Orange's plan, he, Green, and White held on behind Light Blue and spun him around as White transmitted his own marginal amount of light energy into Light Blue's, who launched light energy out of his hands as he was spun around.

The energy initially seemed to help the drones move more quickly and efficiently, but after several moments, some of them began to overheat and break down. The drones continued to surround the group. One of the Jolter Drones approached the group from above. There were too many ground drones for Light Blue to fend off, so Orange let go and leaped onto the arm of a Strongdrone, correctly guessing, that it would swing him off and up onto the Jolter Drone.

Orange began to whack the Jolter Drone as he held onto it from behind. The other three Pikmin made it to the elevator door, and Orange let go. He found himself surrounded by a large pack of drones as they attacked.

White: The elevator button isn't working.

Green: The drones may have disabled it. Light Blue, can you use your energy?

 

  * **Although not revealed, it was SCU who disabled the elevator, intending to trap the Pikmin to their deaths.**



 

Light Blue appeared very exhausted.

Light Blue: It's all gone...

Green: Can you channel White's energy, then?

Light Blue: Maybe...

Green: Alright, use it to open this elevator.

So White placed his hands on Light Blue's shoulders and attempted to emit his light energy through him. Light Blue channeled the energy at the elevator, forcing it open. The three of them went in.

White: Come on, Orange!

Orange barely made it through the pack of drones as they pursued him. Orange ran for the elevator. He leaped inside. A Strongdrone grew near. White channeled his energy through Light Blue further to shut the elevator doors closed, but the Strongdrone managed to reach its arm through and keep them from closing. It attempted to grab at them.

Green hacked its hand off, sending sparks from its wrist. The doors finally closed. Orange then repeatedly hit the down-arrow button, but the elevator was still not working. Light Blue launched more of White's energy into it as Orange pressed the button frantically, and the elevator finally began to move downwards.

Green: Keep supplying it with energy until we're out. They may attempt to cut off power at any point.

Light Blue and White nodded. Light Blue made sure to only use enough of White's light energy so as to keep the elevator moving. After 10 or so minutes, they finally reached the bottom and the doors opened. Orange and Green had to carry Light Blue and White out now as they were now barely lucid.

 

  * **I'll admit, the Light Pikmin's light energy is a bit of a catch-all for tight spots. Here, you see them using the light energy to power the elevator. A lot of fantasy action stories tend to have superpowers used in sort of outrageous ways that rationalize the characters through a lot of implausible situations. Some may find this kind of writing irritating, but it's convenient, and if you suspend your disbelief, it works. Also, as the substance of light energy is explained more later in this story, you may find that there's a bit of a basis as to why it could be used as a substitute for electric power, anyway.**  



 

They spent the rest of that night resting near the base of the mountain. Afterwards, they headed back for the Pikmin Regions in a 2-day journey. Upon their arrival, Green immediately debriefed the Bulborb and Wollywog commanders on the mission. He then joined the other three Pikmin at a restaurant. As they ate their nectar, they conversed.

White: So what news from the commanders? Do they need any more of our assistance?

Green: They deemed the fortress too dangerous for further investigation. They feel that any move from the Mamutas or any other enemy race would result in their destruction at the hands of the security drones.

Orange was not convinced, however.

Orange: There are some who could, if properly equipped and tactful enough.

Light Blue shook his head.

Light Blue: You're not seriously considering going back there, are you?

Orange didn't say anything.

White: I agree with Orange. But we should just stay here until a threat poses itself.

They continued to converse and eat for the next few minutes. Then, their table was approached. They all turned to see...

Light Green: Hello again, my friends.

They were all joyous and surprised to see him.

Light Blue: It's great to see you!

White: Where have you been?!

Orange: Welcome back to the group!

Green: Hello to you as well, Light Green!

But they also noticed three other Pikmin with him who they did not recognize.

Light Green: Allow me to introduce...

A Rock Pikmin.

Light Green: Rock.

Rock: Hey!

He waved his hand in greeting, and they greeted him back.

Light Green: Winged.

A Winged Pikmin. She kept her hands held behind her as she hovered.

Winged: Greetings.

They greeted her back.

Light Green: And Finned.

A light blue-colored Pikmin with finned and webbed arms and legs, and gills on both of her cheeks which were much more prominent than the gills of Blue Pikmin.

 

  * **As is often noted in the Pikmin games, the Blue Pikmin actually have gills, though they seem to be too small to notice or to depict graphically into the game. In the case of Finned, her gills would definitely be a visible feature if she were to be depicted in a visual medium.**



 

Finned: Hi.

They greeted her back.

 

  * **And so finally, the major heroes of the story are now all introduced. Light Green, the other surviving Pikmin from AoO3's ending, finally makes his reappearance, and the three big new protagonists are established. Something I had noticed among the cast of the previous stories was the lack of female characters. This was an issue I remember receiving some criticism in my writing for Paper Mario 4: The Key to Great Power as well. I never really made a point to think much about the characters' genders and simply generalized them, but for AoOX, I decided to incorporate more female representation. So two of the new stars are female. I don't really perceive a biological need for Pikmin to be "male" or "female" given the use of pellets and Onions to produce them, but I think giving them psychological genders akin to our males and females helps the readers, and even myself, to relate to them more easily. The roles of Pikmin genders were something I explained briefly at the beginning of AoO4 from Untold Stories.**



 

  * **In their initial introductions, I think you can get your first slight hint of their personalities in just their greetings. Rock is casual and personable, Winged is more formal and intellectual, and Finned is more casual and sassy.**



 

White: Are they... Light Pikmin?

Light Green: No, although Winged and Finned are pink and light blue, they are Neutral Pikmin like Orange and Green, and so is Rock.

Light Blue: I've never heard of any Pikmin of their kind before. They weren't apart of the main recognized hues.

Light Green: Well, the main recognized hues were never an exact determination, only the product of what we had discovered so far. Rock is quite tough and can pierce fragile structures and survive blunt force. Winged can, as you can see, fly.

 

  * **Since Pikmin 3 had been released prior to this story's creation, I felt it was appropriate to represent some Pikmin 3 elements. Interestingly, I had originally designed a definitive set of just 10 Pikmin hues (including Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, Gray, Brown, Bulbmin) early in AoO3's creation, which also included an Aqua Pikmin reserved for AoO4. With the advent of new races in Pikmin 3, this sort of contradicted my little racial canon for AoO. I felt the parallel universe concept in this story helped to explain any inconsistencies between the AoO series rules and Pikmin 3. AoOX is set in a universe in which Pikmin 3 happened, and Rock, Winged, and Finned are just 3 races from a region no one had happened to meet yet.**



 

White: I bet Yellow would have been jealous!

Light Green: And Finned can survive underwater like Blues, but rather than a skill for rescuing drowning Pikmin, her talent lies in more adept swimming ability.

Finned: You betcha.

Orange turned to Light Blue and spoke in a joking manner.

Orange: Feeling obsolete?

Light Blue was not amused. Orange awkwardly turned back to Light Green and the newcomers.

 

  * **In AoO1, I had introduced Orange as the major new color of the story, and in AoO2, I introduced Green and Brown. With the inclusion of Rock and Winged in AoOX, this seemed like an apt time for another major creation, so I created Finned, naming her for her physical attributes rather than color, like Rock and Winged. Like Orange and Green, she would become one of the most central characters overall. Her unique abilities were similar to my vision of Untold Stories Aqua's. Finneds and Aquas are like the Blues, possessing water immunity, but secondarily favoring swimming, rather than the Blues' secondary favoring of rescuing drowning Pikmin. Finneds might seem a little redundant with the existence of Blues, but even in the Pikmin games, certain races share certain attributes. Both Reds and Purples seem powerful, but in different ways. Both Yellows and Wingeds favor heights, but in different ways. Likewise, Blues and Finneds favor water, but in different ways.**



 

  * **Light and Dark Pikmin share the attributes of their neutral equivalents. So, Light Blue has water immunity and skill for saving drowning Pikmin, like a neutrally-shaded blue Pikmin.**



 

Green: What brings you here, Light Green?

Light Green stood silent for a moment.

Light Green: I am here to tell you that the Dark Pikmin have returned. And they will soon storm the fortress the four of you were just in. And when they find what they are looking for, it could spell the end of us all.

 

  * **Continuing to take inspiration from television, I liked to end AoOX's chapters on cliffhangers with the hope that the reader would want to find out what happens next.**




	4. Light Green's Journey with Commentary

**Part 4: Light Green's Journey**

 

Orange, Green, White, and Light Blue all looked to Light Green with worry from the news he had just broken to them.

Light Blue: How are the Dark Pikmin back?

White: How did you know where we were at?

Green: What are they planning to do?

But rather than wondering how Light Green came upon his knowledge, Orange wondered something else.

Orange: So, Light Green, what's our plan of attack?

White: It's too soon to talk about a plan of attack. First, we need to know the details, Light Green.

Light Green: Yes, indeed.

Light Green and the three new Pikmin, Rock, Winged, and Finned, all brought seats over to the table and settled into them.

Light Green: Let me start from the beginning...

 

**_THE RECOUNT_ **

 

  * **So for this chapter, there is a unique structure that I hadn't utilized before. Mostly it just recounts an extended flashback sequence of where Light Green has been recently, with Light Green narrating over the events (distinguished by parentheses) and the others interrupting at times.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : As I've told you all before, before I joined you in your adventures, I once worked with a Pikavore. A Hairy Bulborb named Seer-Eye. He was so named because his left eye was green, and in it, he would receive visions of things to come. He and I worked together, along with a green Spectralid named Specty who assisted us. Seer-Eye had also equipped me with my sword and my old Pikhorse Nowai.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : (Continuing) Seer-Eye received visions, often of innocent Pikmin or Pikavores in danger across distant lands, and so he would send me to those locations to aid them. He told me he was born with his prophetic eye, and that according to his race's legends, such an eye would receive images around the world, images connected to the beholder's deepest desires. He desired to help innocents who were endangered, and so he received visions that were pertinent to that desire. But he did not have the skill to take them on as Pikmin do, so he enlisted in my help.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : He had warned me of your second adventure against the Cloaked Figure and sent me to aid you. But on the journey there, Specty caught up to me. She had been poisoned, saying that the "enemies" had poisoned her and killed Seer-Eye in an attack. She passed on shortly thereafter.

 

  * **This recalls events we saw in the flashbacks of AoO3's Part 26: All Green. Although we never saw Light Green verbally explain this story to the characters "on-screen", presumably he told them about it at some point and we never heard it.**



 

Orange _(Interrupting)_ : So who are the "enemies"?

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I had never encountered them, but when I first met Seer-Eye, he told me that the "enemies" were a group of evil creatures that wanted harm to befall the innocents we strove to protect. He said that they had once killed a Pikmin who had assisted him before I came along as well.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : So, during my time with you, I made a personal vow that one day I would go back and bring justice to those who had murdered Seer-Eye and Specty. They helped a lot of innocent creatures and were good friends to me. I had to find out who the "enemies" were that had killed them. So following the Dark Pikmin's defeat at the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress and helping our Pikavore allies to sustain victory against the broken Pikavore enemy forces, I embarked on my journey...

 

  * **The subject of the enemy forces working against Seer-Eye was a loose end from late AoO3 that I had originally intended to tie up in the Untold Stories trilogy, namely in The Adventure of Orange 5: The Temporal Gateway. My original vision was that these enemies were apart of the antagonistic organization of that story, a company that specializes in advanced science and high tech. But, since I was effectively rebooting the post-AoO3 future with AoOX, I decided I would explain the "Seer-Eye's enemies" loose end with a new resolution, tying them into the new villains of this story.**



 

Light Green picked up Specty's corpse from the rocky ground, a look of sorrow in his eyes.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I found their bodies first.

Light Green looked upon Specty's deceased body. Much of the flesh of her body had decayed at this point and was nearly skeletal. He also looked upon her eyes.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Holding the body of a friend, knowing they are not in it anymore... It is quite... troubling. When we Pikmin die, our bodies vanish. But when a non-Pikmin dies, their body remains. You can still look into their eyes, and yet there is no one seeing you back.

Light Green entered Seer-Eye's cave with Specty's corpse, finding that Seer-Eye also lay dead in the room, with his prophetic eye missing from its socket.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I laid them both to rest.

Light Green stood in front of a funeral pyre for the two.

 

  * **When I was originally plotting these chapters, they were pretty bare-bones. But, I liked to insert these little moments of depth when the occasion called for it. I wanted AoOX, in general, to have more substance to it than the first three stories did. So there's this interesting little moment of Light Green emotionally troubled by seeing the corpses. In the Pikmin games, Pikmin's bodies always vanish immediately, but the Pikavore beasts' savagely-killed corpses usually remain. This seems like no big deal, but if you think about it, it might make you wonder how Pikmin perceive death. The AoO series puts Pikmin in the unique position of sometimes being allies or friends with Pikavores, so it gives an opportunity to touch on this question. I imagine it would be perhaps traumatic for a Pikmin to see their deceased friend or loved one still existing as a grotesque, soulless, rotting pile of flesh.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I found no trace of the enemies that had killed them. So instead, I wandered around the surrounding land. I visited near by inhabitants. I met with people who knew Seer-Eye and Specty. And people who knew of the enemies of whom they spoke.

Light Green spoke with a Puffy Blowhog in a snowy landscape.

 

  * **I should mention, when we see Pikmin say "people" in this story, they're basically referring to any creatures who possess their conception of personhood. Usually we just associate the word "people" with humans, but in the context of the Pikmin world as portrayed in the AoO series, it refers to multitudes sentient creatures. Of course, I'm sure none of them are actually saying the word "people" anyway, but are rather referring to them by whatever language they speak. We're really only seeing a translation, after all.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : And so I tracked many leads for a number of years, continuing to search for the enemies. A name eventually came to me - Bearded Amprats, a new race of Pikavores which I had not encountered before. A particular group of them were the ones who had murdered my two friends. And at long last, I eventually found them...

In another snowy landscape, Light Green approached the group of Bearded Amprats, his sword ready.

 

  * **The Bearded Amprat is a new species introduced in Pikmin 3, so for the purposes of the AoO series (which preexisted that game), the characters have never seen Pikmin 3 creatures before, for they exist off in regions separate from the affairs of these stories.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I didn't speak with them long. All I learned was that they sought to infest the world somehow, though they didn't seem quite numerous or strong for such a dramatic goal. There was, however... something else there. Something else about them. There was a dark presence among them I sensed.

 

  * **In retrospect, I realize it seems a bit odd that we don't actually hear the conversation between Light Green and the Amprats, Light Green just tells us about it. At the time, I felt Light Green's narration would be good enough, and didn't feel this confrontation would be interesting enough to draw out with dialogue. But, looking back, given the dramatic weight this information has to the story, perhaps I should have written the dialogue. But I think you still get the point well enough.**



 

Light Green stood, surrounded by the slaughtered group of Amprats. Something dark and hazy flowed up from their corpses rather than the usual Pikavore ghosts.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : These creatures had been killed long before, and their bodies were inhabited by something sinister. This dark presence was what was truly behind what had killed Specty and Seer-Eye, but it seems I will never know what it was.

 

  * **This is the group from the Shadow Race that had escaped Spire Fortress before the portal was sealed. Eventually, they went on to possess other creatures, some of which presumably died, until eventually what remained of them had overtaken the Bearded Amprats of this region. Here, they continued their usual efforts of infestation and wreaking chaos like they do with all universes they come across, until perhaps the day would come that a way back to their homeworld would be reopened. Seer-Eye tried to work against their efforts, until they eventually caught wind of his existence and hunted him down and killed him, and attacked Specty with some poison that eventually killed her just as she barely managed to warn Light Green.**



 

  * **Although it's not explicitly revealed that these are Shadow Race entities, it's an early hint to their ability to kill and possess the bodies of other creatures.**



 

Green _(Interrupting)_ : Did it try to take over your own body?

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I suspected that it might and held my guard up, but it seemed to flow away against its own desire as any passing ghost would. I can only imagine that this dark presence must have integrated into the Amprats' bodies in such a way so as to be dependent upon it for life. I wish I could have learned more about them.

 

  * **So the dark and hazy energy flowing up from the creatures' bodies is the equivalent to the Shadow Race's spirits. As Light Green just speculated (correctly), once they overtake a body, they become dependent on it for life. So if the host body is killed, the Shadow entity dies and its essence floats away as a spirit.**



 

Light Green picked up Seer-Eye's green eye out of a glass box. It now had wiring attached through it which connected to a device, which Light Green picked up as well.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : The prophetic eye is what they had wanted. Seer-Eye had taken their actions to be that they had a goal to prevent the help of innocents. Perhaps that is something they desired, I don't know, but I believe mainly their quest had been to get to Seer-Eye's eye for use of their own purposes, and they killed those who stood in the way. Once they stole his eye, they had built something which would allow them to see the visions that the eye would receive. It would transmit the information into their brains.

 

  * **So presumably, the eyeball has some sort of psychic energy that allows it to receive visions of what the possessor desires. Originally Seer-Eye was born with it in his eye socket. Once the Shadow Race removed it from his corpse, they built a device to connect to the eye. Then they wear the device, and can see the eye's visions themselves.**



 

Light Green placed the device around his head.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : And I sensed a dark presence within the eye as well. It was almost as if some part of the enemy they sought had infested the eye somehow.

 

  * **I think this may have been a misstatement in the writing that I overlooked before posting the chapter, unless by "they" Light Green was referring to Seer-Eye and Specty. I think a better way of phrasing this would have been: "It was almost as if some part of dark presence which had possessed the Amprats had also infested the eye somehow."**



 

  * **In other words, a Shadow Race entity possessed the eyeball. This was perhaps before they realized that the entity would be stuck inside, and thus they would just need to build a device to connect to the eye.**



 

Light Green waited with the device around his head for a moment.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I almost thought that perhaps I wouldn't see anything, after all, according to Seer-Eye's legend, it only showed what the beholder desired. And it was not my eye, after all. It was the device which I was using.

Light Green suddenly started to see images in his mind.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : But then... I did receive something. A vision. A vision that stretched across many lands, over seas. Until I witnessed, in caverns, the Pik Clones holding a dark crystal. The very same kind of dark crystal, which, according to the Light Pikmin chronologies, was used to create the Dark Pikmin.

 

  * **Seer-Eye's desire was to help innocents in harm and bring good into the world, hence why he received visions of such. Light Green similarly has a desire to thwart the efforts of evil, so he sees the Pik Clones working their villainy and where they are at in relation to his position, so he knows how to get there.**



 

  * **The story now takes us back to where the cliffhanger at the ending of Part 1 left off, with the Pik Clones searching the caverns for the crystals.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : (continuing) So I left at once, with Seer-Eye's eye and the device. Though bringing that device would only serve as a mistake. And strangely, it seemed even then to me as though it quite hadn't shown what I deeply desired as according to the legend. While I certainly wanted to stop the Dark Pikmin, I was more interested in the dark entity or entities which had killed my friends. So I thought perhaps the legend was wrong. But I eventually changed my mind.

Light Blue _(interrupting)_ : What changed your mind?

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Wait and find out. So, I arrived at the caverns which the Pik Clones were in.

Light Green stood outside the entrance to the caverns. Machinery and yelling could be heard from within. He went inside, where he found Pik Clones working with drills and other equipment, trying to dig through the rock walls inside. He also noticed a new silverish plating around the devices on their heads.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : The Pik Clones were digging through, searching for the dark crystal I saw in my vision. With it, they were surely going to bring the Dark Pikmin back. They also had new silver plating around the devices on their heads - the devices which kept them loyal and in servitude to the Dark Pikmin, unable to think or will for themselves. The new plating was a stronger shielding to protect against destruction. Light energy has never been much use against metal, simply flowing through it, which is why we never used it to disable the devices on their heads before. But something we did use was there in the mines.

Light Green blasted a crate of bomb rocks with light energy, causing the crate to fling them into the air. They exploded in mid-air above the Pik Clones, but the force of the blast did not destroy the devices.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Our tactic to turn Pik Clones to our side during the war was to have Yellow throw bomb rocks high up enough so that they exploded and destroyed their devices without destroying the Pik Clones themselves. It seems that the Pik Clones caught on to this and thus the increased shielding on their devices. And attempting this tactic only served to get me caught.

Rock _(interrupting)_ : Our part is coming up!

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Yes, indeed, Rock.

Light Green was held by a group of Pik Clones in a room crowded with them within the mines. One of the soldiers brought a dark crystal to the Green leader.

Commander Alpha: At long last, we have the dark crystal which we have sought!

The Pik Clones in the room cheered. Light Green noticed that Commander Alpha was standing near three new types of Pikmin which he did not recognize: A rock-like one, a pink one with wings, and a light blue one with fins and gills. Each one had chains around them, binding them.

Commander Alpha: With this, we shall bring back our masters, the Dark Pikmin.

The crowd cheered more.

Pik Clone Soldier #3: Sir, let's make an entire army of Dark Pikmin!

Commander Alpha: Why, soldier?

The Pik Clone stood nervously for a second.

Pik Clone Soldier #3: Because... then we can conquer the world!

Commander Alpha: That, sergeant, is a decision only our masters may make. Our now deceased masters were four in number. We shall honor that smaller number for the time being unless they order us to create more.

Pik Clone Soldier #2: Then use Purple clones, sir! They are the most powerful!

Commander Alpha: No. A Dark Purple has already existed this generation. A new Dark Pikmin of each color was produced once every generation from the Dark Onions. We shall not dishonor any of our deceased masters of this generation by creating a replacement for him. We shall only recreate old colors if our new masters authorize the beginning of a new generation. Hence, why we have brought forth these three new types.

He looked to Rock, Winged, and Finned.

 

  * **So this is basically just my rationalization for why they don't just create a bunch of Dark Pikmin, and just three new types of each. It's a stretch, but there you have it. The Pik Clones don't want to dishonor the Dark Pikmin of their generation by creating new replacements for each of their colors, so they just create new colors of Dark Pikmin instead. This is all just an excuse for me to just introduce new Dark Pikmin hues without having to recycle old ones.**



 

Commander Alpha: We could not find the Dark Onions, and it seemed as though all hope for reviving our masters was lost... But we persisted! We researched the possible locations of dark crystals these past six years. And we finally found one!

He held it up above him, and the crowd cheered more.

Commander Alpha: And to further add to the grandness of tonight, a Light Pikmin is being held captive here, to witness the return of the Dark Pikmin, and to be killed at their hands!

The entire crowd cheered. Commander Alpha looked to Light Green.

Commander Alpha: I heard not very many of the Light Pikmin survived the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress... I hope their deaths were painful!

The crowd cheered more.

Light Green: Not as painful as when I severed Dark Brown's screaming head from his body.

The crowd suddenly got quiet. Commander Alpha's triumphant demeanor turned bitter.

Commander Alpha: Be that as it may... You will suffer a similar fate.

Light Green: And be prepared for when you suffer it, too! The Dark Pikmin were going to abandon all of you to the detonation of the Bomb-Fortress.

Commander Alpha: We exist to die for them as they see fit!

Commander Alpha turned to some Pik Clones.

Commander Alpha: Do it now.

He handed them the dark crystal, and they inserted it into a large, tall device on the ground. With the press of some buttons, a dark blast of energy hit Rock, Winged, and Finned. They shook in pain for a few moments until three seeds launched from their bodies and into the ground. Three dark sprouts then protruded from the ground.

White _(interrupting)_ : Why haven't you used your light powers yet?

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I hadn't had a good opportunity yet. I could take out a few Pik Clones with one light-powered blow, but then the rest would underwhelm. Until they were distracted could I do it. Which is about to happen...

Commander Alpha and two other Pik Clones grab onto the three sprouts and pulled them out. Dark Rock, Dark Winged, and Dark Finned were thus born. The entire crowd of Pik Clones proceeded to bow before their confused newborn masters.

In this moment, Light Green unleashed a wave of light energy from around him, knocking back many surrounding Pik Clones. As they struggled to pick themselves up, Light Green sped over to retrieve his sword, and then, charging it with light energy, dodged attacks from Pik Clones and made his way over to Rock, Winged, and Finned. With three light-charged slices, he broke their chains, freeing them.

Rock: Thank you so much!

Light Green: Come on!

But then Pik Clones began to grab Light Green.

Rock: No!

Rock lunged toward them and fell over. He struggled, and Finned helped him get up. Finned turned to Winged, who was hovering above the broken chains.

Finned: What are you doing? Come on! Help the sword Pikmin!

Winged: Well... okay.

With some uncertainty, she proceeded to fly away from the chains and started targeting the Pik Clones piled on Light Green for attack. Finned and Rock also joined in the attack, though Rock was clumsy and didn't do much to help. But with the help of Winged and Finned, as well as his own struggle, Light Green managed to break out of the Pik Clones' grasp.

He then proceeded to aim his sword upwards and shot a jet of light energy from it into the rocky ceiling. This caused the ceiling and walls to start shaking violently.

Commander Alpha: Cave-in!!! Evacuate!!!

Commander Alpha and the near by Pik Clones ushered the new Dark Pikmin out of the room as the rest of the Pik Clones stormed out of the room to evacuate. Light Green and the new Pikmin also ran out. Light Green continued to launch light energy through the caverns to cause cave-in wherever he could.

Amidst the chaos of running Pikmin and Light Green's energy blasts, a light crystal fell from one of the walls. Spotting it, Light Green looked at it for a moment and then absorbed its essence into his sword with light energy, deeming that it may be useful later.

 

  * **This, of course, sets up the fact that Light Green will later create light equivalents to the new Pikmin.**



 

Winged flew up to a ledge and was followed by Finned on a ladder. Rock struggled up the ladder.

Rock: I can't make it!

Finned climbed down a bit and grabbed his hand, helping him up. He finally made it to the top.

Rock: Thank you!

Finned: No prob.

Winged: We must leave!

Finned: What about the sword Pikmin?

Winged: There he is.

Light Green quickly began to climb up the ladder. The cavern walls and ceiling were still shaking, on the verge of a cave-in.

Light Green: Go!

So the three of them ran, soon followed by Light Green who made it to the ledge. The four of them and Pik Clones ran out of the cavern as a flood of rocks collapsed and filled the cavern, killing some Pik Clones who weren't fast enough.

 

  * **This cave escape sequence also serves to further characterize the three new characters a bit, showing how they deal with situations of action. Rock is clumsy, Winged is timid, and Finned is valiant.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Now, when I had arrived at the mines earlier, I had brought the prophetic eye with me, thinking that its powers of foresight could be useful. I hit it and its glass container with the device in a bush near by. So I went to retrieve it... and then...

 

  * **Here's a typo. Light Green should be saying that he hid the eye and equipment, not hit them.**



 

A Purple Pik Clone lunged toward Light Green, knocking him down. Finned, Rock, and Winged attacked the clone, killing him, and more clones near grabbed the container with the eye and device. Light Green attempted to slash them with his sword, but more Pik Clone attackers began to overwhelm him. He and the three new Pikmin fought them off until the thieves were out of sight.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : So I led the three newcomers away from the site of the cavern, near the outlying forests to stay.

Rock _(interrupting)_ : He told us to wait for three hours and to carry on if he did not return by then.

Finned _(interrupting)_ : What he didn't know was I was gonna go after him if he didn't come back.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Which would have been reckless. So, anyway, I went back to the crowd of Pik Clones. Now, for better or worse, Pikmin learn to communicate and understand the surrounding world very quickly when they are first plucked. Such qualities which are in the drives of their body when they're produced. And one of the new Dark Pikmin already had a mind to start taking action.

 

  * **Once again this is a bit of a convenient excuse, but at least it's based in the Pikmin games. Whenever they're plucked, they seem to already be somewhat matured in their intelligence.**



 

Light Green hid behind a tree as he observed Commander Alpha, Dark Finned, Dark Rock, and Dark Winged. Dark Finned had the device which was wired to the prophetic eye around her head.

Dark Finned: I... I can see things. A massive technological fortress with a spire... Wow. A group of Pikmin.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Somehow, I knew it was going to be you four.

Commander Alpha: What kinds are they, my mistress?

Dark Finned: A white one... a green one... a light blue one... and... another...

Commander Alpha: Is it... an orange one?

Dark Finned: Yes! Orange.

Commander Alpha: The wretched scum.

Dark Finned: They are watching something.

 

  * **Dark Finned is seeing a vision of the scene from the previous chapter, when the four were watching the holographic recordings in Spire Fortress.**



 

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I could not attack them without drawing their attention and being overwhelmed when they struck back. So, although I did not want to destroy Seer-Eye's eye, it was the only way to stop the Dark Pikmin from abusing its power to their own advantage. Swiftly and subtly.

Light Green launched a blast of light energy at the eye, damaging it. A dark, hazy essence flowed up from it.

 

  * **The dark essence was the deceasing spirit of the Shadow entity within.**



 

Dark Finned: It's gone. I can't see anything now.

Commander Alpha: Hmm?

Dark Winged: Look at the eye.

Commander Alpha: Well, that is a pity. It must have been damaged from overuse. Well, let's look into what we can about what you saw, maybe we can get an advantage against the Pik Group. Dark Finned, my mistress, I request as many details of what you saw as possible.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : So I waited for an hour or so. The Pik Clones have vast resources of knowledge at their disposal, many books and writings. So I followed and eavesdropped for an hour or so.

Pik Clone #22: By the description you gave, it sounds like the Spire Fortress.

He skimmed through a book.

Pik Clone #22: Built by the Gray Spectralids, it housed many deadly machines to protect its prized artifact, the Rift Crystal. This crystal had the capacity to tear rifts through dimensions.

Dark Winged: What happened to the Gray Spectralids?

Pik Clone #22: That race of Spectralid died out by unknown causes.

Dark Finned: Do you think they were working on a way to open a portal through dimensions with the crystal?

Pik Clone #22: It does not say.

Dark Rock: Imagine what we could use that crystal for! We could tear passages through our own dimension, take over the world pretty quickly!

Commander Alpha: Indeed!

Dark Finned: Yes. All this talk of world domination sounds exciting! Tell me more about our predecessors, Commander Alpha.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : I can only assume that he must have been telling them all about the Dark Pikmin's past efforts, influencing them to be the same. It's a shame, really. I was hoping the new group of Dark Pikmin could move past that, seeing as how these three would not be influenced by Dark Pikmin, the Dark Onions, or any other Dark Pikmin artifacts. But it seems the Pik Clones have held the domineering ideology of their former masters to pass on to their new ones.

 

  * **This also alludes to another topic that will be explored later in the story, which is whether the Dark Pikmin can be good or must be inherently bad.**



 

Green _(interrupting)_ : It's unfortunate we were unable to wipe out the remaining Pik Clones six years ago after the Light/Dark Pikmin Wars ended. They were able to regroup and flee to carry on until they brought the Dark Pikmin back, which is now.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : Yes. They were made to serve the Dark Pikmin, and with no Dark Pikmin to serve, they worked to bring in new ones. At least I was able to cause a cave-in in the crystal mines. Still, I knew the Dark Pikmin might try to pursue drilling back in, so today I alerted the Bulborbs and Wollywogs to the location. They are now securing it so the Dark Pikmin can no longer drill in and gain dark crystals.

Light Green _(Narrating)_ : (continuing) So after a day or so, I managed to get back here with Rock, Winged, and Finned. And thus concluding the journey, so far...

 

**_END OF RECOUNT_ **

 

White: So you think it could spell the end of us all if the Dark Pikmin got the Rift Crystal?

Light Green: Yes.

White: But the Dark Pikmin are young and naive. I doubt they would be able to figure out how to use the crystal to open holes through our world or have any skill for world domination.

Light Green: I didn't mean they would bring the end of us themselves... I meant something else would. I realized why Seer-Eye's eye didn't seem to be working in total harmony with my own desires. Or Dark Finned's desires... Do you really think she would have had much interest in your group or world domination after just hearing a little bit about it from Commander Alpha? No.

Light Blue: So... what, then?

Light Green: The dark presence... the entity... or entities. The ones who were inhabiting the Bearded Amprats. I realized that one, or part of the one, was inhabiting Seer-Eye's eye as well. And while the eye was showing things that would be of interest to me or Dark Finned, what it was mainly showing was what the dark entity within it desired. It was attempting to redirect the prophecies and trick us into going some place or doing something it desired itself.

 

  * **So, this was a little convoluted, but basically, just as the eyeball is meant to show the desires of the possessor, the Shadow entity within was the primary possessor. And so when Light Green and Dark Finned attempted to use it, the Shadow entity had sort of hijacked their vision with its own desires, sort of combining its desires with theirs, showing things that would be of interest to them, but with the ultimate aim of serving the Shadow entity's desire. The Shadow entity was basically trying to engineer the return to Spire Fortress and the unleashing of the Shadow Race from their homeworld. It took advantage of the Dark Pikmin's interest in world domination to try to lead them towards the fortress, and it took interest in Light Green's interest in stopping the Dark Pikmin in order to get the eyeball to the Dark Pikmin so they would begin their venture to the fortress in the first place.**



 

Light Blue: But you destroyed them.

Light Green: I destroyed the ones that I encountered. There could very well be more of them.

White: How do you know the dark presence will bring the end of us all?

Light Green: I could sense something grandly threatening from the dark presence. And when I spoke with them as they possessed the Amprats' bodies, they declared that I would not stop them from infesting the world.

They all sat in silence, pondering for a moment.

Light Green: So I do not worry of the Dark Pikmin's plans. Not so much as what will happen if they get into the fortress. I fear of why the dark entity directed me to the Dark Pikmin. So that the Dark Pikmin could gain possession of foresight? And then the dark entity is now directing them towards the Spire Fortress. The prophetic eye showed the images of that which you deeply desired, according to legend. It's as though the dark entity inhabiting the eye wanted to fall into possession of a group who did desire to use it to find the Spire Fortress, so it showed me this group, as one of my desires would be to stop it. The entity then showed them the Spire Fortress, directing them there.

They all continued to ponder in silence as they listened to Light Green.

Light Green: Somehow, the dark entity was guiding the Dark Pikmin to the Spire Fortress. It was showing what it itself most deeply desired... It desired for the Dark Pikmin to go into the Spire Fortress, perhaps to obtain the Rift Crystal... And for what reason why, I do not know... But whatever the reason, it must be something terrible.

 

  * **Light Green is ultimately correct. The Shadow entity was trying to lead them to Spire Fortress so they would open the portal to the Shadow Realm. Also, in a later chapter, we will learn that a key device is needed to open the portal, which the Pik Group and Dark Pik Group will eventually stumble upon. So, the Shadow entity may have also foreseen this through visions as well, and so influenced both Light Green and the Dark Pikmin onto this quest to ensure that the device would be obtained and would unlock the portal at the fortress. It's all a bit convoluted, but that's basically it.**



 

They all continued to ponder in silence.

Light Green: So, will you help me stop the Dark Pikmin from obtaining the Rift Crystal? What say you all?

Orange knew his answer.

 

  * **Orange, as usual, is the quickest to decide to action. Although not revealed until the start of the next chapter, I think it's obvious even now that Orange's answer is yes.**




	5. Divisive Decision with Commentary

**Part 5: Divisive Decision**

 

Orange: Yes, we will go with you.

Light Blue: What? No! Don't speak for the rest of us, Orange.

 

  * **The first scene of this chapter is the titular "Divisive Decision" scene, a very dialogue-driven scene. It also sort of calls back to AoO3 Part 28: One More Casualty, which also featured the group split over a decision Orange was making. Both of these chapters also serve as  precursor to a later chapter, Part 18: The Pik Group Halved, when a permanent split will finally occur.**



 

Light Blue shook his head.

Light Blue: I'm sorry, Light Green, but I feel this is a lot of conjecture. These feelings you had of this... "dark entity"... It just isn't concrete.

Light Green nodded in admission. Orange shook his head.

 

  * **Here we're seeing one of the story's big themes for the first time, which is sort of the "science versus faith" conflict. In this scene, it's represented through the clash between Light Green's intuition and Light Blue's sense of reason.**



 

Orange: Light Blue, do you want to take that risk? Light Green's sense of intuition has always been pretty strong.

 

  * **Orange has a point here. In the first three stories, Green and Light Green were characterized with a strong intuitive sense, even able to tell well if someone is lying or not.**



 

Light Blue: It's not definitive enough to risk our lives. The security drones in the fortress are impenetrable. We barely made it out of there.

Orange: The risk of the Dark Pikmin succeeding, coupled with what could happen if they opened the portal, is much greater.

Light Blue: That's another what-if.

Green: It _is_ unlikely that the Dark Pikmin would be able to survive the security drones.

White: We can't underestimate the Dark Pikmin. They killed off most of our original group. And we can't forget what happened when the Gray Spectralids opened the portal... They said the "Shadow Race" came through and corrupted their drones against them.

Orange: Exactly. What if this dark entity Light Green encountered was a member of that race? What if it was trying to lead the Dark Pikmin to the Spire Fortress so that they will unleash the race back into our world?

Light Blue: The Spectralid hologram stated that those entities had been diverted back through the portal. So that couldn't have been what was in Seer-Eye's eye.

Orange: We don't know that all of them were diverted back. Some could have escaped the fortress, infested some of our world already.

 

  * **What's interesting here is that there is ultimately some validity to both points of view in this situation. Light Green and Orange were right in thinking that the Shadow Race was trying to engineer the opening of the portal. However, as it turns out, the portal probably wouldn't have been opened if the Pik Group hadn't found the key device later and taken it into the fortress. So going on this venture was debatably not the best course of action after all. Unless, of course, the Dark Pikmin would have found the key device themselves anyway.**



 

Light Blue: We don't need to know! And I can't believe you are on board with this, White. You, of all Pikmin, would know better - or at least you would 6 years ago.

White: I never said I was on board with this. I agree with you, Light Blue, that there's a lot of conjecture involved here. But I think there are valid concerns. I think you're too dismissive. But I am undecided.

 

  * **Light Blue is alluding to the fact that when the Pik Group first began to split at the end of AoO3, White had been the one to lead the alternate group besides Orange's. However, in the conflict between Orange and Light Blue early in AoOX, White tends to be more neutral and open to both points of view, careful in coming to a decision.**



 

Light Green: Green, where do you stand?

Green: I am inclined to go. Light Green's intuition has high accuracy.

Light Blue shook his head.

Finned: I'm going too!

The others turned to Finned in surprise.

Light Blue: You have no experience, nor do Rock or Winged. You shouldn't go.

Finned: I've had enough action that I can take care of myself in battle.

Orange: Besides, were we so different in the beginning? Who are any of us to deny if she can go?

 

  * **Orange defends Finned's desire to go on the journey against Light Blue's criticisms of recklessness. Orange and Finned would later go on to develop a pivotal friendship.**



 

Light Blue: It's being responsible. And you have precisely proven my point. You, Orange, were too naive and should have never gone on an adventure in the first place. At least the Light Pikmin are trained in some action.

Orange: But it's not your right to tell anyone what they can or can't do.

Light Blue's face turned frustrated.

Light Blue: The only reason you're pushing this is because you want the thrill of another adventure! Regardless of the consequences! The only reason you're going, the only reason you've ever done anything, is for your own excitement. Your original adventure was just you and your little group going on vacation, and you were luckily thrust into the leading position. They first found you running around aimlessly in a forest with no memory of your past. You probably did something reckless to cause your amnesia, too.

They group went silent for a moment, overcome with tense feeling.

 

  * **This is sort of the cathartic culmination in Light Blue's frustration with Orange, which is in finally calling him out and openly attacking his motives in this adventure as well as the previous adventures. A recurring element I wanted in this story was for the logic of certain unquestioned things in the previous stories to be questioned now. So we see Light Blue criticize how Orange came to his leadership position in the first place.**



 

  * **This scene of Orange and Light Blue's personal argument was originally written to be much longer. However, after I had written this scene, I had taken a hiatus from writing this story for about six months. When I finally came back to continue writing this chapter, I felt it would be more satisfying if facets of Orange and Light Blue's argument was spread out across several chapters, rather than all at once. So I removed several chunks of dialogue from this argument and saved them for the next two chapters.**



 

  * **Trimming down the argument also allowed more room for this chapter to be written. I generally tried to keep chapters no longer than 20 pages, with a few exceptions, out of preference. I didn't want chapters to feel too bloated.**



 

Orange: Are you done?

Light Blue: .... Yes, yes, I'm done.

Orange: Good. I'm going with Light Green. This isn't about me. It's about whether you trust Light Green's intuition.

Light Green: Thank you, Orange.

Orange: No one is making anyone do anything. If you don't want to come, then don't. But if you do want to, then do. Light Green and I can use all the help we can get.

Finned: Well, I'm going. How about you guys?

Finned turned her head to Rock and Winged.

Rock: Yeah, I'm going too! How about you, Winged?

Winged was somewhat nervous and shy.

Winged: Um... yes, I will go.

Light Green: Green, you said you were inclined to go?

Green nodded.

Green: Yes, I believe I shall go.

Light Blue: Wait, listen, Green. I can respect Light Green's personal convictions given what he experienced, but everyone else is going out of rashness and naivety. Are you really persuaded by their arguments?

 

  * **Something I like here is that Light Blue still tries to sell his case. In past AoO stories, the characters would probably all sort of just agree to a plan of action without giving much consideration. But here, Light Blue is really determined to make his point. He stops Green, telling him "Wait," and questions his reasoning.**



 

Green: I am persuaded well enough.

Light Blue: I think you're only persuaded out of loyalty to Orange.

Green: In the end, our motivations are the least of our concerns. We need to focus on what we will actually be doing.

 

  * **During that last division in late AoO3, Green was initially the only one to leave with Orange. Light Blue observes, correctly I think, that Green is very loyal and bound to Orange.**



 

Light Green: Well, White, have you made a decision?

White had been pondering, and continued to do so for a few more moments.

White: In the end, I trust your intuition. And I saw what could threaten this world in that fortress, having corrupted all of the drones. So I'm going.

Light Blue: .... You can't be serious.

White: I am. There is a good chance we can overthrow the danger posed. There is a risk in going, true, but risk is always apart of any quest for a greater good.

Light Blue shook his head in disbelief.

White: Maybe, Light Blue, you need to look inwardly. What's driving _you_ so forcefully? Why are you so hesitant to do this?

Light Blue was silent.

 

  * **White finally comes to his decision, and after much arguing of other people's motives, White also questions Light Blue's own motives in staying behind. This is all sort of meant to set up White's sense of balance and leadership ability which will come into play later in the story.**



 

Light Green: Alright, we should try to find out any information we can about the Spire Fortress before going there. Any knowledge to give us an advantage over the forces guarding it.

Green: The Wise Bulborb likely has information about it.

Light Green: Then we shall start there.

They all stood up, except for Light Blue who remained seated, and headed out of the restaurant.

 

The group of seven headed to visit the Wise Bulborb, known for his extensive knowledge of the world. His home was a group of large, dark boulders situated somewhat circularly. Stacks, piles, and boxes of books laid about.

Green handed the Wise Bulborb some pikmoney.

Green: Hello, sir. We need knowledge on the Spire Fortress.

Wise Bulborb: Ah, I was reading about that just... a month ago. Or was it a year?

The Pikmin exchanged glances.

Wise Bulborb: This old Bulborb's memory is not as good as it used to be.

He began to dig through books and boxes with his mouth.

Wise Bulborb: You know, I used to be more spry when we first met six years ago...

He continued to dig.

Wise Bulborb: That's why I lived on that island, I liked some adventure...

He continued to dig and ramble on.

Wise Bulborb: ...Helped stimulate my sense of awe about the world...

He continued.

Wise Bulborb: ...Continued to inspire my reading...

The Pikmin began to secretly wonder how long this would take.

Wise Bulborb: ...But I just got too old for that sort of environment, things got too crazy...

He continued.

Wise Bulborb: ...So finally I just settled out here in the quiet regions of the Pikmin... much more pea- AHA! Found it!

 

  * **The Wise Bulborb was first introduced in AoO3 Part 9: The Four of Death, giving the characters information on the antagonist the One of Sorrow, where they similarly paid him "pikmoney", which is some currency the creatures of the Pikmin world use. I liked to include a lot of nods and callbacks to the first three stories in AoOX, so I included the Wise Bulborb here, giving the information for their journey once again. In the past six years, however, he has become a little senile and absent-minded.**



 

Recognizing some books in a box, he dragged the box towards the group.

Wise Bulborb: Yes, I threw in all of the books I could find on the Spire Fortress and Gray Spectralids in there.

Green: Thank you, sir.

The Wise Bulborb, Green, and Light Green began to look through the books, as everyone took seats within the abode of rocks. They also handed some books to the other Pikmin so everyone could search through them for information.

Finned was sitting next to Orange as the two looked through books.

Finned: I heard Light Blue say they found you with no memory of your past. Sorry if this isn't my business!

Orange: Oh, it's fine. Yeah, I was just running around through the forest aimlessly and fell down. Then they found me.

Finned: Your friends here?

Orange: Actually, just White. The rest of the ones who were there died many years ago.

Finned: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

She had a sincere sadness in her face.

Finned: I lost my home, too. My family and friends. We Finned Pikmin mainly live underwater. We weren't supposed to go too far onto land, but I guess I got a little reckless, decided to go exploring. Got lost. Got caught by Dark Pikmin, you know.

Orange: I've tried to remember my home, my family, sometimes, but it's just gone. As far as I know, life began with my adventures. That's all I've got.

Finned: What about your friends here?

Orange: They don't trust in me, in our friendship. I led so many of them to their deaths. I was their leader, for some reason.

Orange had a look of sadness in his face.

Finned: Well, they, as a group, chose to follow you. Their choice is their responsibility. You shouldn't torture yourself.

Orange's sadness subsided slightly, as he was met with some comfort and confusion over Finned's words.

Orange: Why are you taking my side, anyway?

Finned: I'm just saying it like it is!

Orange nodded.

Finned: Also, you seem like someone I can identify with a little in this strange world.

Orange made the Orange Pikmin equivalent of a smile (no mouths).

And unbeknownst to Orange, Green had overheard this conversation.

 

  * **This is the scene when these two begin to connect and begin their friendship. They have a couple of things in common, including being lost from their old home/family, and their perhaps reckless drive for action and adventure.**



 

  * **One of my intentions with this chapter was slowing down the plot for character development, after four chapters back to back of action. So these scenes give us time to get to know the new Pikmin a little better, as well as to get a better understanding of the familiar heroes' feelings on this situation.**



 

  * **Orange basically sees his whole life as defined by his adventures and leadership, since that's where his memory begins. And he feels alienated from the other Pikmin. But Finned is able to see that the other characters are responsible for their own actions and doesn't judge Orange for what she has heard. So Orange and Finned are able to grow a bond here.**



 

  * **This also establishes Finned's arc to find her family which she has lost, which will not be resolved until the end of the story.**



 

  * **This also recalls a mystery raised in AoO3 Part 10: Away, which is Orange's amnesia and the question of what happened to the rest of his race. This is ultimately perhaps the most central and important mystery to AoOX's plot. Admittedly, at the time I wrote this chapter, I didn't know just how important this would be until I began to write later chapters. More on that when we get to those.**



 

  *   **When planning this story, I mostly just tried to focus on the nearest and most present chapters. I had brief outlines/paragraphs written on the remaining chapters for the rest of the story, but the more specific details and how those details were organized was something I usually only focused on with the nearest chapters. So a lot of the first eight chapters was worked out in the beginning, but a lot of the last few chapters was still vague.**



 

Suddenly, Light Blue stepped into the rocky abode. Everyone was silent with surprise. He had a look of reluctance.

Light Blue: You're going to need a healer on this journey.

Light Blue sat down with them, and they were all pleased.

 

  * **In the end, Light Blue's drive to take care of the group wins out. However, his strong sense of hesitation is still there, and is further explored in subsequent chapters.**



 

**MEANWHILE**

 

The Dark Pikmin and Pik Clones were gathered in a forest area.

Commander Alpha: Our reports have confirmed that the Bulborbs and Wollywogs have taken control of the mines. Our forces won't be able to get any more dark crystals now. Pfft, the Bulborbs and Wollywogs should be ashamed to call themselves Pikavores, helping the Pikmin like that.

Dark Rock: Unless they're helping us. It's too bad ties severed after that Battle of the Bomb Fortress you spoke of.

Dark Finned: Well, it's not like it matters! We don't wanna have to share power with any more Dark Pikmin than we need to, anyway. Three is a good number.

Dark Winged: Still, we need to keep an eye on their activities there. We can't let the Pikavores dig up any crystals for use for their own purposes.

Commander Alpha: Yes, that is an excellent point, my mistress, Dark Winged. We are keeping a couple of troops spying on them.

Dark Rock: What about the Rift Crystal? We still need to get that!

Dark Winged: The book stated that it was guarded by many deadly machines.

Dark Finned: That's why we've already got some clones reading up on the matter. Anyway, Commander Alpha, what about that eye that showed visions? Any chance of fixing it?

Commander Alpha: Unfortunately, not by our technologies. It's just useless now!

Dark Finned: I guess it'd make a weird, cool souvenir.

Dark Winged: Maybe we can make some money off of it. I'm sure there's some group that would want to study a dysfunctional eye that used to have special powers.

Dark Rock: Meh... waste of time.

 

**BACK WITH THE PIK GROUP**

 

Wise Bulborb: Alright, so, the Spire Fortress was built by the Gray Spectralids.

Light Blue: Well, yes, we knew that.

Wise Bulborb: Oh, well, did you know that it's guarded by a lot of drones?

Light Blue: Yes, we knew that too.

Green: Mainly, we're trying to find a way to get deeper into the fortress. We already visited it previously, but the drones that are too tough. We need information on any sort of weaknesses, any weapons or devices that can be used to disable them. We're looking for where something in the fortress called the Rift Crystal.

Wise Bulborb: Ah, alright.

 

White noticed Rock was looking at a different book.

White: Hmm, what's that you got there?

Rock: It's a book on combat... Er, this is alright, isn't it? I won't have to pay, will I?

White: We just have to pay for use of the Wise Bulborb's information in general, which we already did. So it'll be fine.

Rock: Cool.

White: Why are you reading up on combat?

Rock: I'm just... I'm very clumsy. We Rock Pikmin are a lot clumsier than most Pikmin. I noticed this especially when we were escaping the mines.

White: If you think you can't fight, it may be safest to stay here.

Rock: Oh, but I want to fight!

White: Well, then if you really put your heart and your mind to it, then I bet you can do it. Just don't get too eager with the combat. Let me, Orange, Green, Light Green, or Light Blue do most of the fighting. And along the way, we'll try to get you and Winged and Finned prepared.

Rock: Alright!

Rock paused for a moment.

Rock: I've never been... particularly tough. Other Rock Pikmin said my personality was not hard or tough enough to match my body.

White: Well, it doesn't always take toughness of body to get through the trials ahead. You can be strong in spirit, in heart, in mind, even if your strength is not in body.

Rock: I'll try my best!

 

  * **After posting this chapter, I remember noticing these last few lines and wanting to revise the wording. But basically, Rock is clumsy physically, and his fellow Rock Pikmin feel his personality is too soft, not very tough, not very aggressive. Rock is more emotional. But they mistake Rock's emotion for weakness. He actually has mental strength and strong empathy, which will be important in later chapters. So Rock's arc is basically to discover his inner strengths. White supports him in this.**



 

Rock thought for a moment about White.

Rock: You know, you seem pretty well-balanced between Orange and Light Blue's rivalry. Why aren't you the leader?

White: Well, I was originally supposed to be 2nd to Red in terms of leadership, but Orange's sudden skill in the height of the emergency of our capture led to Red stepping down from his position to let Orange lead instead.

Rock nodded.

 

  * **This is another allusion to White's overlooked leadership ability which will come into play later in the story.**



 

As they continued to study, Light Blue struck up a conversation with Winged.

Light Blue: Winged, you seemed hesitant to come along this adventure.

Winged: Oh... Well...

She went quiet.

Light Blue: Listen, you don't have to come along just because the others are. This will be a very dangerous quest.

Winged: I understand...

Light Blue: I don't sense that your heart is really in something dangerous like this.

Winged: To be honest, I am uncertain of where my heart is. I have not made most of the decisions in my life. Where I originate from, Winged Pikmin come into a life of slave labor.

Light Blue: I see. That's terrible.

Winged: Yes... This is the first time I have been in a position to make my own choice.

Light Blue: Well, just remember that. You can choose to stay behind if you want to.

Winged: I understand.

 

  * **This sets up Winged's arc. She will eventually have to come to her own independent, free-willed decision. Her life in slavery has made her very accustomed to being acquiescent and lacking drive in initiative. But as we will eventually realize, she also has a hidden strength for intellectual capacity.**



 

Another moment or two passed as they studied.

Light Blue: You remind me of my best friend a bit. Just a resemblance.

Winged: I see.

Light Blue: Yes, she was a Pink Pikmin. But... she died.

Light Blue struggled to hold back some sadness and anger from his face.

 

  * **Pikmin 3 established that Winged Pikmin are pink in color, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to comment on that similarity. Just as well, it's another allusion to Light Blue's trauma over witnessing Pink's death.**



 

Orange: Most of what's in these books is so trivial. "Gray Spectralid Master Chef Guide to Pellet Nectar"? What? What even?

Orange shook his head.

Wise Bulborb: Yeah, the info here is a bit dry. I wish I had gone on more adventures... collected more books... more information...

Light Green: Well, the good news is, I believe I have found the answer we need.

Light Green paraphrased from the book he was holding.

Light Green: The Gray Spectralids were so advanced in their scientific and technological discoveries at Spire Fortress that they learned to safely convert living organisms between matter and energy.

The Pik Group was intrigued.

Wise Bulborb: Oh yeah, I remember reading this! They built, um, um... uh... the Destitute Room. No, wait...

Light Green: Destination Room. They built transporters that could transform you into energy and move you up to thousands of miles, where you would re-materialize, all within a matter of seconds. They referred to these transporters by the name "Destination".

Orange: So can we get a Destination and energize ourselves into the fortress?

Light Green: Well, it has to be to another transporter. They were only designed to transport the users to other transporters. This book mentions that the first Destination was constructed in the fortress on the third level.

Orange: That's great! That's above the heavily-guarded entrance level. That's just what we need!

Green: Are we sure it's still operational, however? What if it was damaged in the chaos after the Shadow Race corruped the drones? We could be turned into energy in one transporter, but never be re-materialized by the one we're going to.

Light Green: As a safety measure, they were designed to not be able to transport you to one that's inoperable. So if we do get transported, then that means it's operating safely.

 

  * **So this scene explains the "Destination" mentioned earlier in Part 3: Spire Fortress. Sort of borrowing from the Star Trek concept of "beaming up/down", though it's also something we see Olimar do in the Pikmin games whenever he is energized back into the ship at day's end. The Destination basically uses a teleportation network connected through many locations established by the Gray Spectralids.**



 

Orange: Well, where do we find one?

Light Green: That's the tricky part...

As Light Green began to explain...

 

**BACK WITH DARK PIK GROUP**

 

...A Pik Clone troop was simultaneously explaining these very same findings to the Dark Pikmin.

 

  * **I sort of liked how this scene transitions, with the sentence not fully finished until after the transition.**



 

Pik Clone #22: They were all connected to the Destination Room. This is the building which was the hub of the Destination transportation. It was located a day's journey into the Misty Bog.

Dark Finned: The Misty Bog? Where is that?

Pik Clone #22: It's slightly northwest of the Pikmin/Mamuta border.

Dark Rock: Good, then maybe we can kill some Pikmin along the way!

Dark Winged: No, we should try to be discreet. We are not prepared to deal with the Pikmin forces or their allies.

Commander Alpha: As commander of our military forces, I must agree with that. We should try to cut around as much hostility as we can.

Pik Clone #22: The Misty Bog in itself is very, as the name suggests, misty, and may be difficult to traverse. It is also home to ferocious Pikavores.

Commander Alpha: What rate of intelligence?

Pik Clone #22: Level 3.

Commander Alpha: Ah, then that will just be an easy matter of killing some primitive beasts.

 

  * **The Pikmin world, as portrayed in the AoO series, has a way of measuring the intelligence and sentience of creatures. "Level 3" is a lower level, these creatures are more animalistic, lacking the higher intelligence of the Pikmin and various Pikavores like the Bulborbs. It's a convenient way of establishing that some Pikavores are sentient while others are more beastly as represented in the Pikmin games.**



 

Dark Finned: Well, let's get going. I want the power to tear through dimensions!

Dark Rock: Yes!

Dark Rock hopped with excitement.

 

  * **One of my intentions for this chapter had been to flesh out the new Dark Pikmin trio more, though for the sake of space, I didn't get to realize that as fully as I envisioned. However, you still get hints of their personalities in this chapter. Dark Winged is more rational, Dark Rock more aggressive, and Dark Finned somewhere in between.**



 

Commander Alpha: I shall prepare our troops for travel. By the way, we got that eye donated to an organization.

Dark Winged: A donation? So no money, then?

Commander Alpha: We received none, the greedy hogs. But they did give us tickets to tour their headquarters.

Dark Finned: How generous.

 

  * **This was just a subtle allusion to the Untold Stories trilogy. Given that AoOX was rebooting the post-AoO3 future, I had established that AoOX was set in another universe from the Untold Stories. However, even between alternate universes, similarities still arise, and things that initially start out differently may still turn out the same in the end. This was just a little theme I found interesting. So basically, as per my original intention with the Untold Stories, an organization gains possession of Seer-Eye's eye. However, in this universe, his eye is of course damaged beyond use. How much this universe's organization has in common with the Untold Stories universe's organization is also something unclear. It's not something I intended AoOX to explore, I just liked this as a little nod to the Untold Stories.**



 

**BACK WITH THE PIK GROUP**

 

Light Green had divulged the rest of the information about the Destination Room.

Orange: Well, we should get going, as, if this cook book is any indication, there is not much else of value in these books.

 

  * **Something I'm noticing in this chapter is that it has a little more of the lighthearted humor characteristic of the first three stories. However, in general, I envisioned AoOX as being more drama-driven.**



 

Wise Bulborb: I detest that statement!

 

  * **The Wise Bulborb, in his love for knowledge, will find anything of value in books, even something trivial.**



 

Light Green: Well, the Dark Pikmin could be on the move as we speak. We need to get there before they do.

Light Green then nodded to the Wise Bulborb.

Light Green: Thank you for your time, sir.

The eight Pikmin left his home. The Wise Bulborb was lost in some thoughts.

Wise Bulborb: If I were some ten years younger, I could go with you guys on this adventure... Oh, you're all gone now.

 

The eight Pikmin headed through the town.

Light Green: If we get on the tram, we can be dropped off near the area close to the Misty Bog before the day ends.

So the eight headed to the tram. Green also began a conversation with Orange on the way.

Green: Orange, I heard what you said to Finned... You should know, I trust strongly in our friendship.

Orange made the equivalent of a smile.

Green: We fought alongside each other in so many adventures, battles, the war. You even saved my life from the Mamutas 2 days ago. You have the utmost loyalty from me. You have always been my greatest friend.

Orange: Thanks, that means a lot.

 

  * **This scene foreshadows the downfall of these two's friendship later in the story. I wrote this scene knowing what the two would do in the final chapter.**




	6. The Misty Bog with Commentary

**Part 6: The Misty Bog**

 

The tram had stopped at a Pikmin/Bulborb alliance village. The ride had taken several hours, and it was now nearly dusk. As the eight Pikmin stepped out of the tram, they were met by a Bulborb troop.

 

  * **The Alliance territory is made up of a series of villages and towns suited to Pikmin and their Pikavore allies.**



 

Bulborb Soldier: Commander Orange, Captain Green, Captain White, Captain Light Green, Dr. Light Blue...

Orange: Yes?

Bulborb Soldier: I was ordered to inform you... the Dark Pikmin and Pik Clones have crossed into our allied territory. They took out several patrol troops along the border, and we have lost track of them.

The Pik Group contemplated this information.

Orange: Thank you.

The Bulborb soldier saluted and then left.

Rock: Shouldn't we get help from them in going in the fortress?

Green: They had decided it was too dangerous and risky to go in, and rightfully so. Only we Pikmin are small enough to have a chance against the forces inside.

Rock: Well, what about getting them to help us through the bog?

Green: Most likely they wouldn't risk any soldiers, and would just try to prevent us from going for our own safety.

Light Blue: Even the Pikavores agree that this endeavor reckless...

Green was silent for a moment.

Green: Also, any time we spend trying to get Bulborb help is time that we're giving to the Dark Pikmin.

Light Green: Indeed. We should carry on.

And so on, they carried. They reached the edge of the forestry surrounding the bog by sundown, and journeyed in.

 

The bog had a sickly green and brown appearance in the plant life on the ground and in the large, crooked, mossy, leafy trees and their long roots extending across the ground and into greenish-brown waters. It also had a soaked feeling, as the ground was very muddy, numerous ponds and rivers ran throughout as well as a shroud of mist obscuring the travelers' vision, and heavy rainstorms also periodically occurred. Adding to the wildness of the bog were the sounds of beasts' roars and screeches often heard in the distance.

 

  * **I had wanted to use more unique locations during the adventure in this story compared to the first three, and I liked this idea of the wild swamp environment.**



 

Night had fallen within an hour of the Pikmin's journey in. Light Green used his light energy through his sword to create a light to illuminate their path in the darkness, but not even that could do much to clear their view through the mist.

Light Green: Well, I can certainly see why they built the Destination Room here, as it's well-concealed.

As they continued walking for a few more hours, a Bog Phosbat (a bit smaller, more manageable, and browner than a Vehemoth Phosbat with green lights) swooped down from a tree, and with a screech, attacked the Pik Group.

Finned, Rock, and Winged stepped back as the five veterans sprang into action, grabbing onto the Bog Phosbat and attacking it with their stems and swords. It screeched and hovered about and attempted to shake them off as well as try to swing them into its mouth. Light Green and Light Blue were not in a position yet to properly concentrate to use their light powers against it.

In the midst of the fight, two ferocious creatures - Prezards (reptillian, tough-skinned, scaly, and short-tailed) were alerted to the scene by the sounds of the fighting and leaped towards the three standing Pikmin, growling. Finned and Winged manage to dodge the attack, but Rock was grabbed in one's mouth. Its teeth were not strong enough to crunch him, and it carried him away.

 

  * **The Bog Phosbat and the Prezard were two new Pikavores I created solely for this chapter. The name "Prezard" was derived from "predator" and "lizard".**



 

Finned leaped on the second Prezard and beat it with her stem, though did little damage. Winged saw as the first carried Rock to water near by.

Winged: It's going to drown Rock!

The second Prezard swung Finned off of its body. Orange dropped from the Phosbat and grabbed Green's sword which had dropped during the fight. Orange ran over to the Prezard as it was preparing to lunge towards Finned, and slashed at its head. Orange was not skilled enough with a sword to do real damage, but the attack did sting the creature enough to make it back away.

Winged: The other one took Rock into the water over there!

Orange: Finned, you can swim underwater. Can you get Rock?

Finned: Yes, yes I can!

Orange gave Finned the sword.

Orange: Use this to defend yourself if you must.

Finned nodded and ran and leaped into the water.

Winged: I can fly... I can help with the Phosbat.

Orange: Alright!

Orange and Winged headed over to the Phosbat fight.

Light Blue: No, Winged, stay out of this.

Orange: It's alright, Winged!

But Winged backed off shyly. Orange shook his head at Light Blue and joined in the fight with the Phosbat.

 

Finned swam down through the water. This was the first time she had been in water since she was kidnapped by the Pik Clones. Although it was murky and disgusting to her, it also brought her a sense of calm as she swam down. She arrived to where the Pezard was floating with Rock in its maw and slashed at its teeth and gums with the sword. She had no skill for using a sword, but she was skilled at movement in the water, and so dealt a couple of strong enough slashes to get the Pezard to release Rock.

 

  * **After posting this chapter, I had looked back over it an humorously noticed that the name "Prezard" mysteriously changed to "Pezard" in the middle of the chapter, and then back to "Prezard" later on.**



 

Rock appeared to be shaking from panic as he was drowning. Finned took his arm and swam back up to the surface, pushing Rock back onto the ground. Rock calmed down as he began to get air again. However, things did not remain calm for Finned as she felt the force of the Pezard swim towards her. She turned quickly enough to swing the sword again, and it was caught as the Pezard clamped down on it. She let go of it, but the beast grabbed her with its claw and took her down beneath the surface.

Deep down, the Pezard swung Finned away and she spun against the floor of the pond. The sword floated out of its mouth as it opened it once again. She attempted to swim up away, but the Pezard whipped her with its claw again, bumping her back downward.

Things seemed to slow down for Finned as a sense of danger overcame the sense of calm. Images and feelings of her home and family ran through her mind. She found herself suddenly paralyzed with shock.

The Pezard was swimming towards her to attack her with its jaws once again, when a bright burst of light shot through the water and hit the creature. It writhed in pain and swam back. Soon, another burst of light shot through and hit it once again, and its movements ceased. A Pikavore ghost began to float from its body, and Light Blue suddenly appeared above Finned.

Light Blue swam and grabbed Green's sword from the pond floor. Then noticing that Finned's movement was frozen, he swam over and jogged her slightly. Finned suddenly jolted back to reality. The two swam back up to the surface. They climbed back on to the ground and saw Light Green pulling his sword from the second Pezard as a ghost floated from it, as well as the now-dead Phosbat lying a couple of yards away. The Pik Group was scattered about.

Light Blue checked everyone for injuries, using light energy to heal a few wounds, mainly on Rock and Finned. He then handed Green's sword back to him. He then turned to Orange angrily.

Light Blue: Why did you tell Finned to go down there?! Why did you try to get Winged involved in battle?!

Orange: They can help out in the fights. That's why they're here, is to help us in this quest!

Light Blue: They're not ready to take on fights like that!

Orange shook his head and turned.

Light Blue: You don't care about a single one of our lives! Your leadership is reckless!

 

  * **As I mentioned in the last chapter's commentary, the opening argument between Orange and Light Blue was divided up among the next couple of chapters. Light Blue's line here marks where the next piece of that argument was transferred to.**



 

Silence and awkward glances overcame the others. Orange turned angry.

Orange: I care about every single one of us!

Light Blue: You led most of us to to our destruction! You practically accomplished the Dark Pikmin's goal for them!

Orange: I led us to defeat the Dark Pikmin! They are the ones who killed us! And it was for the defeat of the Dark Pikmin that our friends sacrificed themselves!

Light Blue: Except they're not defeated! All of our friends died for nothing!

Light Blue's expression of anger gained a hint of sadness. There was a moment of silence as a feeling of shock filled the others. Orange was simply astounded.

Orange: ... How can you say that? How can you disrespect them?

Light Blue shook his head.

Light Blue: You disrespected them. You led us to rescue Brown and Light Brown, getting Bright Yellow killed in the process. And ultimately continued to lead us on a quest that just got Brown and Light Brown killed in no way which helped us. So all three of them died for nothing. You needlessly got Light Orange killed in the same venture. You got Light Bulb killed to stop the One of Sorrow, when all the One of Sorrow was trying to do was separate both groups from warring with each other. You couldn't even succeed in convincing Dark Orange to give up the battle.

Orange shook his head.

Orange: Don't blame me for what the Dark Pikmin did.

Light Blue: No one, no one should follow your leadership. You'll get everyone left here killed.

White: That's enough!

Everyone broke their attention from Orange and Light Blue's fight and turned to White.

White: We can't get through this bog while these creatures are prowling in the night. We need to take shelter somewhere and rest until daytime.

The others nodded. They searched briefly in silence before they found an arching clump of tree roots to sleep for the night under. They shoved and pulled some stones in front of the opening to ensure that no Pikavores would get in their shelter during their sleep.

Rock fell asleep feeling guilt and worthlessness over his weak performance in the fight and the trouble it seemed to have caused for everyone else, and Winged fell asleep with confusion over similar feelings of guilt and worthlessness regarding her withdrawal from the fight. Light Blue, White, Green, and Light Green all fell asleep with differing degrees of tensity over the conflict between Orange and Light Blue.

 

  * **One of my intentions for this chapter was to basically give the newly assembled iteration of the Pik Group a situation of action to deal with. We had seen a little bit of the different characters in action in Parts 2, 3, and 4, but this is the first time we see all eight characters in an action scene together.**



 

Orange had trouble falling asleep over this same issue himself and was awake for a while. Thunder eventually started roaring, and rain could be heard pouring outside of the roots. Orange eventually noticed that Finned was awake as well. She was sitting up, shaking. He got up and went to sit next to her quietly.

Orange: Are you alright, Finned?

Finned continued to shake for a few moments in silence.

Finned: It's just... really hitting me hard now... Home... my family... I am lost from them...

Finned started to become teary-eyed. Orange offered a comforting pat on her shoulder. They sat in silence for a few more moments.

Finned: Being in the water reminded me of home... But it was so dangerous and disgusting... It wasn't home... And this quest... is not a fun ride...

Orange shook his head in agreement.

Orange: No, it's not.

Finned: ... I have to go back to them.

Orange nodded.

Orange: I can take you back tomorrow. We can separate from the group.

Finned: No... After the quest is over. I'm not turning back on this.

Orange nodded.

Orange: I'll make sure you will find home again, your family again, after this is all over. I promise.

Finned made the equivalent of a smile and nodded. Some time passed, and the two eventually fell asleep.

 

  * **One of my intentions for this chapter was mainly to emotionally develop Finned more and further bond her with Orange. Getting back home will be a key driving force in Finned's arc until the last few scenes of the story. The moment of Finned recalling her home as she floated through the bog's waters was one of the early scenes I had visualized for this chapter during the initial outlining.**



 

  * **You may begin to notice in this chapter that the three newbs, Rock, Winged, and Finned, all seem a bit younger than the original five Pikmin right now, more naive, more emotionally immature. That's the intention. I wanted the original characters to seem more aged through their experiences and the passage of time, as though they had become semi-mentors of sorts, while the three new characters are the new youthful heroes. While the rate of time it takes for Pikmin to mature is not exactly consistent with humans, I would say that right now, the five original characters are psychologically in what we would liken to humans in their late 30's to mid 40's, whereas in the first three stories, they were probably more akin to teenagers and early - mid 20's. So the three newbs are now approximately at the stage that the original characters were at in the first three stories. I would say Rock, Winged, and Finned are akin to maybe 16 - 17 year olds right now, and will be around 17 - 18 by the final chapters of the story.**



 

The group of eight awoke at daylight and continued on with their journey to find the Destination Room. The sunlight made the swamp a bit more clear, though the mist continued to be an obstruction. The group at times found themselves going in circles, much to their frustration.

Orange: Do we have any idea where the Destination Room specifically is?

Light Green: The book just said it was a day's journey in.

Green: The center of the bog, however, is about a day's journey in from any angle, so it should be somewhere there.

The group of eight continued. Many hours passed, before something unexpected caught their attention. They stumbled upon a Prezard, preparing to devour a tired creature on the ground. Green and Light Green quickly ran and struck the Prezard with their sword, killing it, and a Pikavore ghost floated from its body.

The group turned to look at the tired creature as it lay next to a mechanical-looking, cone-shaped object. The creature was, in fact, a Gray Spectralid. They ran over to him and surrounded him.

 

  * **Unbeknownst to them, what they have really done here is helped a Shadow entity. He would have never survived through the bog to get back to Spire Fortress had they not come here.**



 

Light Blue: Give him room to breathe!

They all took some steps back, looking in amazement at the creature they were seeing. The Gray Spectralid looked up at them with a look of concern.

Light Blue: We're Pikmin, we mean you no harm. We're on the way to the Destination Room.

Gray Spectralid: Th.. thank you for saving my life. My name is Ki-Pr. I am the last surviving Gray Spectralid. ...I am on my way to the Destination Room as well... but I collapsed in exhaustion.

 

  * **The name "Ki-Pr" is derived from "keeper".**



 

Light Blue: You must be more careful!

Orange: Do you know where the Destination Room is?

Ki-Pr: I don't know precisely, but it is a day's journey in here. I don't know when I arrived here... I have been circling in here for some time. I arrived recently, I think. I started to think I wouldn't survive to the Destination Room, though.

Orange: Listen... the Spire Fortress was taken over recently.

Ki-Pr: It... what?

Orange: The security drones inside were corrupted by an enemy force.

Ki-Pr: Oh, yes, I already knew that. But that wasn't recent. That was nearly 70 years ago.

Orange: ... Seventy years?

Green: But a body we found hadn't decayed anywhere nearly enough for it to be 70 years.

Ki-Pr: My people developed medicines in the fortress that significantly slowed our aging to extend our lifespan. This also had the effect of slowing our deceased's decay.

Green: I see. But if you know about the fortress, then why are you going back there?

Ki-Pr: This...

He nodded to the cone-shaped object.

Ki-Pr: When the fortress was taken over, I had been entrusted by Au-Thr with this device. I fled with it as the Shadow Race hunted me. I have been on the run from them, all this time, trying to get back.

Light Green: Get back, why?

Ki-Pr: ... I don't know that I can trust you with that.

Orange: We're going there to get the Rift Crystal and stop it from being used to open portals through dimensions.

Ki-Pr had a look of uncertainty in his face.

Orange: Do you know where the Rift Crystal is?

Ki-Pr remained silent.

 

  * **Of course, as we find out in the next chapter, Ki-Pr is actually dead and this is a Shadow entity using his body. So the "Shadow" Ki-Pr is actually on his way back to open the portal, pretending to be the living Ki-Pr, and is being cautious here about giving away too much of his plan to the heroes.**



 

Orange: What is the Shadow Race?

Ki-Pr: The Shadow Race... They were a race of dark entities from another world. In our endeavor of scientific discovery, we foolishly tore into worlds in which we had no business looking. And they came through the portal, from their world into ours... They were like wisps of darkness... They killed many of us in their initial arrival... and then were able to turn our drones against us...

 

  * **Something I find interesting is how lines and actions can take on alternate meanings in light of later revelations. Here, you are initially meant to assume that Ki-Pr has reflected on his people's mistakes in saying, "we foolishly tore into worlds we had no business looking in". In reality, he is actually a Shadow entity himself, and is rebuking the race he helped destroy.**



 

Orange: How did they do that?

Ki-Pr: Somehow.

 

  * **As revealed in the next chapter, they did it through SCU.**



 

There was a moment of silence.

Ki-Pr: Au-Thr made a plan to divert them back through the portal. By luring them back towards it. Most of them went back in, but not all of them.

Orange: The ones that stayed, they hunted you?

Ki-Pr: Yes.

Dark Finned: Well, that's very interesting!

They were all startled and turned to see Dark Finned emerging from the misty trees. She was followed by Dark Rock, Dark Winged, and the Pik Clones. The Pik Group stood up quickly with great alertness and worry.

Dark Finned: So good to meet you at last! I have enjoyed hearing about how you destroyed all of my predecessors.

 

  * **Commander Alpha has been telling the new Dark Pikmin the tales of what happened to the old Dark Pikmin from the first three stories.**



 

Dark Rock: Let's kill them!

Dark Winged: Wait, we should interrogate them for information.

Dark Rock: ... Good thinking.

Commander Alpha: As you wish.

Orange: Stop! If you try to get the Rift Crystal, you could risk unleashing the Shadow Race back into this world!

Dark Winged: We'll be careful. We can manage.

Orange shook his head and then looked to the other Pikmin.

Orange: Run!!!

The eight good Pikmin made a run for it as Ki-Pr slowly grabbed the cone device and flew away as well. He was slow in flight, however, and the Pik Clones began to gain on him. Realizing that Ki-Pr was staggering behind, Orange, White, and Finned turned back, while Green, Light Green, and Light Blue kept watch of Rock and Winged as they continued to run.

Orange, White, and Finned came to Ki-Pr as he struggled to fly with the cone device. A Yellow Pik Clone lunged for White, who dodged quickly. White and Finned turned and beat the down Clone until it died and disappeared, and a ghost floated away. Orange threw rocks at two approaching clones, Orange and Brown, knocking them to the ground.

Ki-Pr: Take this... it is our only hope!

Ki-Pr handed White the device.

Ki-Pr: I will stay behind!

The sense of urgency of the chasing Pik Clones diminished the Pikmin's desire to argue.

Ki-Pr: This key device goes into a slot near the Portal Dome! It will activate the emergency self-destruct program! It will permanently destroy the Portal Dome and Rift Crystal for good!

White: Where is the Portal Dome?!

Ki-Pr: At the top of the fortress's spire! Now go!

 

  * **He has really just lied to them and entrusted them with the task of reopening the portal. Of course, as he will soon realize, the Dark Pikmin will just as well head there the Portal Dome to open it, so it probably would have been better in the long run for him to have just surrendered the key device to the Dark Pikmin.**



 

More colors of Pik Clones ran towards them. Orange, White, and Finned fled with the key device. Some Pik Clones caught Ki-Pr, while some others continued to chase after the Pikmin. Orange, White, and Finned eventually caught up to where the other Pikmin were stopped.

Orange: Let's go!

Light Green aimed his sword at a large tree branch above and launched a beam of light from it. The branch hit the ground, on fire, which spread to roots and plants near by.

Light Green: That won't last long in this damp environment, but it should hold them off for a while!

The eight Pikmin continued running.

 

The Pik Clones halted at the fire.

Pik Clone #18: We better return to our masters, this fire has obstructed our path. We're liable to get lost if we circle around it.

So the Pik Clones turned back and eventually rejoined the rest of the group, now holding Ki-Pr.

Dark Rock: Tell us what you know, Gray Spectralid! Tell us about the Rift Crystal which we're attempting to seek!

Dark Rock pounced Ki-Pr, who groaned in pain.

Dark Winged: Enough! If we kill him, we won't learn anything.

Dark Rock begrudgingly got off of Ki-Pr.

Dark Finned: We need to continue to the Destination Room before those Pikmin do something to ruin our plans! Carry the Spectralid with us.

So the Pik Clones grabbed Ki-Pr, and the group continued onward in a hurry.

 

  * **One of my intentions for this chapter had also been to bring the Pik Group and the Dark Pik Group together in a conflict. I actually didn't use the Dark Pikmin here as much as I had originally envisioned, for pacing/longevity purposes. Originally, I had envisioned giving the Dark Pikmin more screentime to develop, and they would have captured the Pik Group for a while before the Pik Group broke out in a big fight and then an escape.**



 

The Pikmin continued to move quickly through the bog for a couple of more hours. They began to slow down, eventually to a stop, tired.

Orange: I think we've lost them.

Green: But not for long.

Light Green: Green... did you sense something off about Ki-Pr?

Green: Yes, yes, I did.

Light Green: As did I. Green intuition...

Green: It's like he was... hiding something. Or knew more than he was letting on.

Light Green: I definitely sensed something strange about him, but I didn't remain with him long enough to get a good idea of what.

Orange: It's this device that he didn't want to tell us about.

White held it up.

Orange: He didn't want to tell us... It will destroy the Portal Dome and Rift Crystal, located at the top of the fortress's spire.

Green: That could be it.

Light Green: I'm not certain that's what I sensed.

 

  * **So there's some confusion here as to what Green and Light Green sensed. Obviously, it could be that Ki-Pr was just withholding information on how to destroy the portal. But in actuality, as we will learn in the next chapter, what he was withholding was that he was a Shadow entity on his way back to reopen the portal. However, Green and Light Green didn't have enough time with him to come to fully sense his true desires.**



 

White: We should keep moving. Any minute we rest is a minute the Dark Pikmin gain on us.

Rock: Uh, guys... Look.

They all turned. Standing alongside the surrounding trees were Spectralid statues, leading up a mound, up to a small building at the top, with Spectralid imagery along its walls.

 

  * **And thus they have found the Destination Room.**




	7. Greetings from Spire Controlling Unit (SCU) with Commentary

**Part 7: Greetings from Spire Controlling Unit (SCU)**

 

The group entered through the doorway into the Destination Room. The interior of the building was white, with Spectralid statues and imagery, much like the interior of the fortress. To the back were a couple of doors leading to other rooms. In the middle of the room was a table with buttons, and several feet behind it was a black, metal, four-sided structure with an opening in the front, like some sort of elevator, attached from the floor to the ceiling, with cords hanging outside around the bottom, entering through holes into some compartment underneath the floor which the structure sat upon, likely where a power source for it was.

 

  * **I'll admit, I would find it difficult to explain some of these convoluted fantasy/technology objects I would come up with for the series. This goes back to the earlier stories as well. I had this idea for a glowing ball of energy that floated in the air, but had solid objects (shaped like corks) situated at the top and bottom as if somehow stuck in the ball of energy. I believe this caused some confusion for old readers of AoO2. Of course, I revisited that object later on this story.**



 

Orange pressed some buttons on the table, and a hologram of a Gray Spectralid emitted from the table.

Mu-Vr Hologram: Hello and welcome to the Destination Room. I am Mu-Vr, leader and head designer of the Destination Project. Before you is the Destination, designed to transport you to any of the programmed locations via matter-energy conversion. Please select your choice:

 

  * **Probably obvious, but Mu-Vr is derived from "mover".**



 

And a few words emitted from the hologram:

>>Transport  
>>Maintenance  
>>More Information  
>>Cancel

Orange pressed a couple of buttons to select "Transport", which then gave a list of locations. Among them, ">>Spire Fortresss", which Orange selected.

 

  * **The Gray Spectralids had a network of multiple locations they could beam themselves to across the Pik World. We only really see the Destination Room and Spire Fortress, however, for the purposes of this narrative. In later chapters, we will also discover more transporters, a two-way Destination system not connected to the rest of the network.**



 

Mu-Vr Hologram: When you press "Begin", you will have one minute to enter the Destination before it activates.

>>Begin  
>>Cancel

Rock: Should we try to destroy this room so it can't be used by the Dark Pikmin? Like with a bomb or something?

Green: It doesn't seem there is anything handy near by that could be used effectively. Besides, we will need the room activate in order to get back here.

 

  * **Another typo spotted. That should probably be "activated" or "active".**



 

Rock nodded.

Orange hit "Begin". The hologram then emitted a timer counting down from 1 minute. The eight Pikmin opened the front of the Destination, and entered, closing it behind them.

Once a minute had passed, the eight Pikmin felt some surge of power as the inside of the Destination seemed to flash with a blinding light and a hum of energy could be heard. After a few moments, this all subsided and the inside of the Destination looked normal again.

Finned: Well, can we leave now?

The other Pikmin sort of shrugged.

Orange: Let's find out.

Orange opened the Destination's door and stepped outside, and he was followed by the others. They saw before them the awing Spire Fortress interior: A long, large white room with tables and computers, statues and imagery of the Gray Spectralids, numerous long screens with wavy green lines, holographic projectors displaying various objects, and the sounds of power humming and computerized sounds. But signs of damage were in the room as well, which Repair Drones still worked tirelessly to repair.

The group was somewhere deeper within the fortress than they had been when they visited a few days before. Before, they had been in the vast entrance area that stretched up to every floor. But now, they were in a smaller room with a ceiling, which had a several open corridors and open and closed doors around the room leading elsewhere.

Several inactive drones were leaned back against the walls, all versions that the group hadn't encountered before. The Strongdrone Model 2, taller and less bulky than the Strongdrones they had fought in the entrance area, and the Signal Drones, small and spherical, with a pyramid atop. There were only a few; much less than the great number of drones they had encountered at the entrance.

They were all alert as a Spectralid-shaped drone flew into the room, aiming a green light towards them.

Orange: It's a Camera Drone! We're about to be in for a fight with the others...

The Camera Drone hovered in place for a moment as it scanned each of them, and then turned around and flew away. Much to their surprise, the other drones did not activate.

Green: Hmm? This is odd. It could be a trap.

The eight Pikmin carried on through the room very cautiously. Much to their surprise, the drones did not activate.

Light Blue: Very odd. Are they just not properly charged yet?

The others shook their heads in confusion.

 

  * **This was actually another change from my original outlines. I had originally written that the group would fight more of the advanced drones on Level 3 as they made their way up the fortress. However, for the sake of space, and because it seemed more logical to the story, I decided that SCU would not activate them for attack. He sees them with the key device, and naturally he should want to inquire as to what they were doing with it rather than killing them as random intruders.**



 

Orange: Anyway, according to the book, we should be on the third floor. According to Ki-Pr, we need to get to the top of the spire.

The others nodded, and they carried on, walking through corridors into other rooms. An eerie and foreboding feeling overcame them, as though something awaited them in the fortress.

As they traveled through the third floor, they took notice of what was on it. Many strange devices lay about, projects that the Spectralids had been working on. White noticed that the door to one room was marked as the "Virtual Room".

White: Hmm... Did they develop virtual reality technology in this fortress?

 

  * **This was inserted here to hint at a later seen in Part 17 when Orange and Finned would enter the Virtual Room.**



 

They eventually carried on up a staircase to the fourth floor. The staircase up to the fifth floor was damaged and broken, under repairs from Repair Drones, so the group decide to journey on through this floor to hopefully find another staircase. This floor was much the same as the previous, lifeless except Repair Drones and Camera Drones. They also noticed many drone parts and partially-complete drones on this floor.

Green: They must have developed the drones here.

They noticed schematics for drones and devices lying around as well as they continued onward. Eventually, the Pikmin noticed a massive, incomplete Strongdrone in one room. It was missing an arm, with an unattached skeletal arm for it lying near by, and parts of its body uncovered, showing its internal wiring and skeletal parts.

White: That's right, I just remembered, there was third model of the Strongdrone in the works, according to that hologram we saw a few days ago.

Finned: Good thing it doesn't work! Looks scary.

The group carried on, eventually finding another staircase up to the fifth floor. The room they arrived at on the fifth floor was more wide and open, with a few inactive drones, a few active Repair and Camera Drones, and above them, a glass ceiling showing a blue sky. They could also see the spire towering over them.

Orange: I think we're close.

The group noticed a door at the middle of the back wall.

Finned: Could that be an elevator?

They walked towards it, when suddenly, they heard a door open on its own from the left wall. They all turned to see it.

Light Blue: What do you think is in there?

Orange: I think we should check. Could be something dangerous!

Light Blue: If it's something dangerous, shouldn't we wait for it to come out?

Orange: No, we should surprise it.

Light Blue rolled his eyes and shook his head.

Light Blue: It'd be just like you to make that sort of reckless action.

Orange: Oh, we're going to do this again.

A look of annoyance overcame Orange's face.

Light Blue: I'm not going to let us make a rash action that could get us killed.

Orange: You've just got a bitter personal problem with me.

 

  * **And so begins the final piece of Orange and Light Blue's argument originally written for the start of Part 5. While there's a less direct trigger here, Orange and Light Blue have been holding their tension in silence, and so at the first slight disagreement, they've broken out into the last, worst part of their days of verbal face-off.**



 

Light Blue: I've got a problem with what you try to lead us to do, yes. You led Pink and I to fight Pikavore Leaders... needlessly, really. And I watched Pink die because of it. My best friend.

Orange's eyes grew saddened.

Orange: You're not the only one who watched a friend die. We all watched friends die. I watched Yellow stay behind to deactivate the fortress. He sacrificed himself for me.

Light Blue: You let him die.

Orange was struck hard by these words. The other Pikmin decided it would be best to stay out of this fight, and so they merely observed.

Orange: No... Yellow made that choice.

Light Blue: And you let Red die, too.

Orange: I didn't _let_ him die! My friend, Red, died. This Pikmin who welcomed me, a stranger, into the group. Who trusted in me as his leader.

Light Blue: And you led him to his death.

Orange: I didn't lead him to his death! I didn't have any decision in what happened to him! I wasn't there.

Light Blue: Yes. As I recall, you were outside the fortress, doing absolutely nothing but cluelessly trying to figure out how to get inside, while everyone else was doing something to stop the impending death of our world and our group.

 

  * **This was also a bit of a comment on an issue I retrospectively had with the climactic chapter of AoO2 (in Part 17). Despite Orange being the titular character, for some reason he was the one character who had nothing to do in the final battle of that story.**



 

Orange just shook his head angrily.

Light Blue: You were an incompetent leader. Everything you did, the rest of us could have done, and probably better.

The group continued to be silent.

Light Blue: We should have just left that island. We should have just gotten away from the Dark Pikmin.

Orange continued to struggle to find words to defend himself.

Light Blue: Not a single one of us picked you as our leader. Your group's leader was Red, and ours was Pink. And then when our groups merged, we suddenly had to follow your lead. Red only chose to follow you because you got lucky in rescuing him.

Light Blue turned to White.

Light Blue: You were supposed be the next in charge, not Orange.

White nodded, but was still hesitant to join in the argument.

Light Blue: We should have followed White after Brown died, when our group had split in direction briefly. We should have followed White and stayed behind, not rushed out and fought the Dark Pikmin with Orange.

Orange nodded.

Orange: Yes... Yes, that is right. Maybe I didn't make the best choices as a leader, but you made choices, too. You all chose to follow me. I didn't make anyone follow me.

Orange's tone turned especially stern.

Orange: You didn't have the courage to step up as a leader, Light Blue. I did. Most of the time, only I did. If you don't like how I led us, then you should have led us. Instead of cowering behind and leaving me to make the decisions for our group. You should have taken a stand.

Everyone was struck very hard by these words, especially Light Blue.

Orange: Instead, you left me to make all of the difficult choices, and lay the blame on me for everything that went wrong.

They all stood tensely.

Orange: And the only reason you keep fighting against me is you want someone to punish for Pink's death. Well, you need to learn to make peace with lost loved ones like the rest of us have. Do you think I'm oblivious to the fact that most of my only friends, my only family, have been killed? Or that my original family, the Orange Pikmin, are long gone? I have had to come to terms with all of that. We have _all_ had to come to terms with who we've lost.

 

  * **Orange's mentioning of the Orange Pikmin here is overheard by SCU, and this will be referenced again later in Part 17: Orange vs. SCU.**



 

Light Blue stared tensely at Orange, processing everything he was saying.

Orange: Your Light Pik Group was more experienced for adventure, as you often like to point out. So maybe one of you should have led us, Light Blue. Maybe it should have been you. But it wasn't, because you're a coward who can't face death. This is why you have been so hesitant to come on this adventure when the stakes are so high, why you have been so argumentative against all of my suggestions. You couldn't face Pink's death. You couldn't face any death. You're terrified to face it. So you've left me to take responsibility for the group's losses instead.

Light Blue was struck deeply by all of these words.

Orange: I've had enough of your hypocrisy. Take responsibility for your actions. Learn to face death as the rest of us have. Instead of blaming me for Pink dying... I mean... I wasn't even there when she died! It was you who was with her in her last battle. Maybe _you_ should have done a better job to protect her.

At these words, Light Blue was filled with deep rage.

Orange: Yellow died for my leadership. Yellow believed in me. So I need to continue to believe in myself, or else his sacrifice was meaningless. And I'm not going to let you hold me down with your grudge.

 

  * **Here, Orange finally stands up for himself. Ultimately Light Blue has been blaming Orange for mistakes that they all have culpability in. It's easy to single out Orange because he was the leader, but anyone could have stepped up. Orange is also correct in his observation that Light Blue is not prepared to face death.**



 

Light Blue snapped.

Light Blue: It should have been you.

Orange: ...What?

Light Blue: ...You let him die, you let them all die. It should have been you who died, not them.

 

  * **Interestingly, Orange himself has not really properly faced death head on yet. He survived the events of AoO3's ending, largely thanks to Yellow's sacrifice, and he survived his wounds from the final scene. So Orange has kind of cheated death a lot, so far.**



 

They group looked at Light Blue, shocked. Orange simply nodded in realization.

Orange: Well... I'm glad we've got this all out now, after holding on to this for six years.

Light Blue: Yes, I agree.

Both looked at each other with deep contempt.

Computerized Voice: I apologize for interrupting this deeply emotional confrontation...

 

  * **This was a bit of unexpected humor, coming from a computer, that I always liked, being inserted here abruptly in the midst of this melodrama.**



 

  * **SCU, having overheard this argument, will also bring up issues from it again later in conversation with Orange in Part 17.**



 

The entire group of eight looked around, startled. They couldn't see where the voice was coming from.

Computerized Voice: This voice is coming from the speakers around the fortress's walls. I would advise you to enter through the door I opened 2 minutes ago.

The Pikmin looked to each other, Light Blue with a strong look of reluctance, and they all silently agreed as they finally headed onward, and entered through the door, into the room.

 

  * **Something I overlooked when I originally wrote this chapter was how SCU can see and hear them. I believe I explained later that there was also a video/audio recording system set up near the speakers. For the most part, however, SCU sees and hears in the fortress through the Camera Drones.**



 

Inside, the room was somewhat large. Towards the back, they saw a large, cube-shaped structure, a screen completely covering it from each of the four sides. Control panels were also elongated around the walls in the room, as well as around the cube screen, each with computer screens above them. Many loud computerized noises could be heard in the room.

On the main cube screen from each side, as well as all of the computer screens in the room, was the image of a Gray Spectralid. Every second or so, the image would change, fading to a different frame of its wings in a particular position. A frame of its wings upward, then a frame of its wings pointing sideways, then a frame of its wings downward, then a frame of its wings upward again, starting the cycle over, giving the appearance of it flapping its wings with the changing images.

Computerized Voice: Greetings. I am Spire Controlling Unit, or simply SCU. I am Spire Fortress's computer mainframe, in charge of maintaining the fortress's mechanical operations as well as storing a library of information for use of the fortress's inhabitants. The image on the screen is the image which represents me. This is my central control room.

 

  * **The idea of a supercomputer antagonist was something I had wanted to utilize for a while. I had had an unnamed AI as a central antagonist in the Untold Story of AoO5. It too served a similar role of maintaining the operations of a technological organization.**



 

The Pikmin looked around the room, stunned.

Light Green: Why have you brought us here?

SCU: I wished to understand your purpose for visiting this fortress.

Orange: Why didn't you just have the security drones attack us like you did when we visited a few days ago?

SCU: I was not designed for hostility against visitors. But the drones in the entrance area are beyond my control. They were corrupted.

Orange: And you weren't corrupted?

SCU: Fortunately, not.

 

  * **SCU is, of course, lying. The real reason he hasn't attacked them yet now is to learn why they have brought the key device, which is crucial to opening the portal and letting the Shadow Race back in.**



 

The Pikmin were puzzled.

SCU: For what purpose do you Pikmin visit this fortress?

The Pikmin were uncertain as to whether the tell SCU or not.

SCU: Is it related to the device which you carry?

White looked to the cone-shaped key he was holding.

SCU: That device is a key that was built to be used near the Portal Dome. But only Ki-Pr should possess it.

Orange: ...Yes. He told us.

SCU: Then you have met him?

Orange: ...Yes. He told us that this device would destroy the Portal Dome.

There was a brief moment of silence as some strange scraping-like computerized noises were heard in the room, as though SCU was processing this information.

 

  * **I was imagining the sounds that the tower of my old desktop computer would make when it seemed to be straining itself slowly processing a lot of information. Just a scratching, groaning, irritating sort of noise. Here, SCU is connecting the dots and realizing that Ki-Pr was a Shadow entity who was trying to mislead them into opening the portal. So now SCU will begin to play along with the ploy as well.**



 

SCU: Yes, that is correct. You are here to destroy it, then?

There seemed to be no point in hiding it anymore.

Orange: Yeah.

SCU: That is good.

White: What happened at this fortress?

SCU: It was originally built 82 years ago. Its purpose was to house the development projects of the Gray Spectralids' weapons systems. Namely, the drones which you have encountered. After 2 years, the earliest version of myself was developed on this floor.

SCU's image disappeared, and was replaced by a picture of a particular Spectralid.

SCU: Three years later than that, the Gray Spectralids had a shift in ideology. One of the commanders of the fortress, Au-Thr, realized through the development of me and the drones that the Spectralid race had the intellectual capacity to develop technologies for world peace rather than war. So he influenced the other leaders to agree to repurpose the fortress for scientific study and experimentation.

The computer image changed to a silhouette of a Strongdrone.

SCU: The combat drones were repurposed as security for the fortress, and were mainly populated on Level 1 and the entrance chamber.

The computer image changed to a diagram of the fortress and its levels. The screen highlighted the lowest level in red.

SCU: Level B2, which holds generators for power supply.

Then the next level up was highlighted.

SCU: Level B1, which holds tanks for water supply.

 

  * **The mention of Levels B2 and B1 allude to more elements we will later see in Part 17.**



 

Then the next level up was highlighted.

SCU: Level 1, the living quarters of the fortress's scientists.

Then the next level up was highlighted.

SCU: Level 2, Study and Development in Life - such as biology, medicine, intelligence, and spirituality.

 

  * **During this portion of AoOX, the story leans more sci-fi in genre. However, in later chapters, the story shifts to more spiritual, paranormal, and otherwise supernatural elements. There is some harmony to the scientific and the spiritual in this story, as they both play their roles in the world (or worlds). The Gray Spectralids recognize this. However, other characters will be caught in a divide over "science versus faith", failing to reconcile the two.**



 

Then the next level up was highlighted.

SCU: Level 3, Study and Development in Inanimate Nature - such as in physics, computers, earth, and outer space.

 

  * **As I later noticed, "Inanimate Nature" is a bit of a misnomer, as computers are obviously a technology, rather than a natural force. Perhaps "Inanimate Forces" would have been a better term. This error is acknowledged in a later chapter.**



 

Then the next level up was highlighted.

SCU: Level 4, Study and Development in Weapons and Drones for security and peacekeeping.

Then the next level up was highlighted.

SCU: Level 5, which holds the control room of the fortress's mainframe - myself.

Then the spire itself was highlighted.

SCU: The room at the top was originally for observation of the surrounding land. However, it was later repurposed, as the scientists in the Rift Crystal Project believed that it would be the most secure location.

The image then changed back to SCU's image.

SCU: Over the years, developments in Levels 2 and 3 led to further upgrading myself, my control over the fortress, and my database. And now, my network runs through a system of wires, signals, and machinery throughout the walls all over the fortress. Although you are in the primary room which the Spectralids used for maintaining my operations, I am essentially throughout the whole fortress.

Orange: You _are_ the fortress?

SCU: In a sense. But much of the fortress's true life and spirit, the scientists, was killed. Five years after the fortress was repurposed, the scientists were given ownership of a mysterious artifact that had been held by Spectralid scientists for many years prior to the fortress's creation -- the Rift Crystal.

SCU's image disappeared again, and a picture of the Rift Crystal appeared.

SCU: I have no record of the crystal's origin. I only know that it has a unique composition which makes it crucial to dimensional studies. It became the "pride and joy" of the fortress's scientists and the main attraction of the scientific developments here to the popular culture of the Gray Spectralids.

 

  * **I originally hadn't intended to explore the Rift Crystal's origin, however, perhaps during the writing of this chapter, I suddenly felt that it would be an interesting piece to explore later. Although it was a while before I actually decided what the origin would be.**



 

The picture of the Rift Crystal changed to a picture of the Portal Dome.

SCU: The scientists soon found that when electrical energy was surged into the crystal at very precise angles and frequencies, the electrical energy would vibrate the dark energy within the surrounding space at an increasingly accelerated rate until it forced through the fabric of the space of this universe, consequently tearing an opening to the spaces of other universes. Once the flow of electrical energy stopped, the dark energy would naturally decelerate back down to normal, and without its force, the spatial tear would have nothing to sustain it and would naturally seal, closing the hole between spaces.

 

  * **I originally did not plan to have a lot of technobabble explaining "how things work" in this story, however, I eventually decided that it would be a fun nod to Fringe, which also tells a story about parallel universes, and explains a lot of mechanistic jargon. For AoOX, I decided to purely make up some new pseudoscience to explain how the Portal Dome would work. I did some slight research, and found the concept of dark energy interesting, which scientists in real life seem to attribute to the expansion of the universe. So, I thought, if it can expand the space of the universe, why not expand/puncture it into the space of other universes? But this is purely just my own fantastical idea, it's not based on any real theories about parallel universes that I'm aware of.**



 

Rock whispered.

Rock: Did you understand any of that?

Finned: Nope.

Winged: I did, a little, maybe.

Rock and Finned looked surprised.

Winged: Well, my masters let me read when I wasn't working.

Rock: Ah.

 

  * **This exchange was meant to sort of speak for the audience, I imagine, as understanding all of the convoluted babble SCU just said is really trivial to the plot. However, Winged, who has more of an affinity for intellect, understands it. I did try to stick consistently to the rules I laid out, so if you can absorb them, they should presumably make sense within AoOX's story.**



 

SCU: The Portal Dome was designed with nodules situated around its interior to launch the electrical energy into the Rift Crystal at its necessary angles, with a rod from the dome's floor holding up the crystal at its necessary height, with nodules situated from the head of the rod back towards the dome at the necessary angles.

The image changed to a diagram of the dome half-open.

SCU: The design of the dome effectively allowed the Rift Crystal to create a hole through space which was contained within the dome and thus allowed for one to travel to other worlds.

The image then changed to a photo of what appeared to be agonized Spectralids on the ground.

SCU: However, when this project was completed after three years, a race of entities from a universe traveled through the portal and into the fortress. They called themselves the Shadow Race. They were mostly powerless in their natural form, but had the capacity to enter into the body of an organism and integrate with its brain, killing the host and taking control of its body.

The image changed to a photo of the combat drones killing Spectralids.

SCU: Through possessing the Spectralid's bodies, they were able to gain access to the drones and reprogram them against non-possessed Spectralids. And so a massive battle broke out through Spire Fortress.

The image changed to a photo of Au-Thr.

SCU: Au-Thr devised a plan, grouping the majority of the surviving Spectralids together in an attack at the portal dome. This enabled the majority of the Shadow Race to be lured back into their homeworld, which was then promptly closed on them. However, a band of the Shadow entities still resided in the fortress, commanding the drones.

The image changed to a photo of Ki-Pr.

SCU: Au-Thr entrusted Ki-Pr with the device which you carry. Au-Thr and the remaining Spectralids were killed by the Shadow Race and the corrupted drones, and Ki-Pr fled from the fortress. He has been hunted for decades by the Shadow Race.

 

  * **The overall point of this chapter is to set up Part 8, which is sort of the conclusion of the first act of AoOX, and to introduce SCU. Here in this scene, SCU reiterates a lot of information we've been given before, but with new details. I had originally envisioned this as more of an action chapter than an exposition chapter, though that changed as I actually got into the writing of it. I will admit, sometimes I wondered if it was a bad idea to give so much exposition restating established facts. It seemed a bit redundant to me, but I remembered a lot of the readers from the first three stories would forget or confuse details in between chapters, so I often tried to make sure that everything was explained out well enough.**



 

  * **Other times, exposition just served to the appearance of the story being intelligent. In retrospect I'm not sure that this was necessary, either, especially as I am now using this commentary to explain and clarify a lot of things.**



 

  * **Something that was never really addressed was what became of the Gray Spectralids living across the Pik World not at Spire Fortress. If I were to rationalize this somehow, I would say perhaps that the Shadow Race used SCU's archival knowledge as well as the Destination network in order to find any remaining Gray Spectralids living across the Pik World, hunting them and killing them all. It might also be the case that the Gray Spectralids are not that high in population, and many of them may have lived in Spire Fortress and in the homes connected to the other locations accessible by Destination.**



 

The image finally changed back to SCU's image.

Orange: Well, with this device, this is our chance to destroy the portal dome for good and ensure the Shadow Race can never reopen it.

SCU: Yes.

Winged: Just a comment...

The other Pikmin were surprised.

SCU: Yes?

Winged: I really believe you should upgrade your Repair Drones, considering that this fortress is nowhere close to being fully repaired after 69 years.

Finned made the equivalent of an amused smile.

SCU: Yes. The repair of this fortress has been a long work in progress.

 

  * **This was just more of a nod to the somewhat implausibility of the fact that repairs have not completed after almost 70 years. I imagined the visual detail of the drones repairing the damage from the Shadow Race conflict to be interesting, but realistically they probably should have repaired all the damage by now. This will be acknowledged again later in Part 17.**



 

Orange: So, will you let us go to the top of the spire?

SCU: Yes. The elevator awaits you. But before you leave, I request some of you to stay.

Light Blue: To stay?

SCU: Yes. I have been experiencing technical difficulties. I would appreciate if you could assist in checking my wiring.

Orange: Yeah, I think we can spare a few.

SCU: Thank you.

The Pik Group discussed briefly and then agreed to who would stay and who would go. Orange and Green left the room and headed into the elevator, which began its trip up the spire. White, Light Blue, Light Green, Rock, Winged, and Finned began to check the wiring around the consoles and computers to aid in SCU's technical issues.

 

  * **SCU has no technical issues and is just preparing a trap for the ones who stay behind.**



 

A floor beneath them, the Dark Pik Group and Pik Clones had arrived up the staircase, battered from combat.

Dark Finned: Great, MORE robots.

 

  * **Although unseen up to this point, the Dark Pik Group has made their way to Spire Fortress by now and has been battling the drones. Since they don't have the key device with them, SCU saw no need to spare them.**



 

Strongdrones (Model 2) and Signal Drones began to attack the group, and chaos broke out on the floor as tables and machine parts went flying with loud crashes and smashes. The Strongdrones swung their arms towards the group, killing a couple of Pik Clones.

Dark Rock: Yargh!

Dark Rock eagerly jumped against a Strongdrone and began to beat it with his stem, and it began to shake him off.

Dark Winged: We need to use that trick again!

Dark Winged flew towards some Signal Drones and lured them towards a Strongdrone. The signals they emitted began to interfere with the Strongdrone, slowing it down, and allowing the Pik Clones to attack it.

Dark Winged: We need to get through here as quickly as possible! We can't afford to fight these!

Commander Alpha guided Pik Clone soldiers past some drones.

Commander Alpha: You heard our mistress! Go!

Ki-Pr watched the battling go on, as Pik Clones surrounded him, holding him captive, and rushing him as well as themselves through the room. Dark Finned ran next to the entrance of a room. Written above the entrance was "Storage for Strongdrone Model 3". She looked inside the room, and found it empty.

Dark Finned: Wonder where this bad boy is at?

She stepped back out and rejoined the rest of the group as they fought through the fourth floor.

 

Back on the fifth floor in the main control room, the Pikmin continued to look through the wiring.

Winged: I can't see that anything's wrong.

White: Me neither.

Light Green turned to Light Blue quietly and whispered.

Light Green: I've been thinking about this, and something just isn't right here. Why would SCU and the drones on the higher levels not be corrupted like the ones on the lowest level, considering that they are more near the portal?

Light Blue: That is fishy.

SCU overheard them.

SCU: I can explain exactly why, Light Green.

The Pikmin turned towards him again.

SCU: I _am_ corrupted. I lied when I said I was not earlier. And I am in full control of every machine in every room of this fortress. It was through reprogramming me that the Shadow Race was able to turn every drone in this fortress against the Gray Spectralids.

A haunting realization filled them all.

Light Green: Let's go.

The Pikmin started to turn to leave, however, the loud, thudding footsteps of the massive Strongdrone Model 3 could be heard ahead, and they saw the drone, walking into the room, blocking their exit.

SCU: I am experiencing no technical difficulties. I merely wanted to keep you here so you could be killed.

Light Green: Then why did you send Orange and Green to the portal dome with the device, if you have been corrupted to work for the Shadow Race?

SCU did not respond, and the answer quickly occurred to Light Green.

Light Green: That key doesn't destroy the portal dome... it activates it! You're trying to get them to open the portal so the Shadow Race will get back into this world!

A horrified feeling filled them all.

SCU: You are an astute Pikmin, Light Green.

Rock: Why did Ki-Pr give it to us?

Winged: ...That wasn't Ki-Pr.

Light Green nodded to Winged in haunting realization.

SCU: He most likely was caught, killed, and possessed by a Shadow Race entity, and was on his way back here to reopen the portal. Once I saw you had the device when you first entered the fortress, I kept the drones from attacking you so I could learn more of what you were doing here. Once I heard what Ki-Pr had told you, I played along with the deception.

The Strongdrone 3 took another loud step towards them.

SCU: And now you will die, and the Shadow Race will reenter this realm.

Light Green, White, Light Blue, Rock, Winged, and Finned all looked at the approaching Strongdrone 3 as a rush of adrenaline overcame them.

 

Orange and Green waited as the elevator continued to move up through the spire, until at last it stopped, and its doors opened, revealing the room at the top. The Portal Dome ahead, Orange, holding the key device, walked into the room with Green, preparing to use the key for its purpose...

 

  * **I rather enjoyed this cliffhanger. We are left on the verge of Orange and Green inadvertently releasing an apocalypse, the rest of our heroes trapped with a powerful foe, and two somewhat trusted characters (SCU and Ki-Pr) being outed as villains who are orchestrating the nearing doom. This story never really had any readers, so I never got a sense of how an audience would have felt about the ending of this chapter, but I can say that it was one of the moments I looked most forward to during the writing of the first eight chapters.**




	8. Battle Atop the Spire with Commentary

**Part 8: Battle Atop the Spire**

 

The room at the top of the spire had a large, long window along the front wall of the room and stretching partially to the side walls, displaying the barren, rocky land surrounding the fortress. In the back-center area of the room was the massive silver dome, situated on a short platform. Several computers and tables surrounded it. Sitting on one of the tables was a Camera Drone. Next to one of the computers was a machine that was built downward into the floor, with a slot in it at the top, a slot that looked fitting of the key device.

Orange (holding the key device) and Green walked through the room, and the two noticed the slot. Green examined it and the surrounding equipment, and an expression of concern overcame his face.

 

  * **Green has a very intelligent mind. He pieces together quickly that the layout we see is more likely indicative that the key slot will activate the portal rather than destroy it.**



 

Orange: Alright, SCU, is that where the key device goes?

SCU's voice was heard from speakers.

SCU: Yes, you are correct.

Orange nodded and started to move the key device towards the slot, but Green stopped him.

Orange: What?

Green: SCU, just how does one open the portal?

SCU: One uses those computers to open it.

Green: Why is it so easy to do that? Shouldn't there be something like this key device to open it? Why is this machine built into the floor for something like destroying the portal?

SCU did not respond, and worry came over Orange's face as he realized what Green was on to.

Green: Orange, don't place the key device in there. This looks to me like it was designed to open the portal, not destroy it.

Orange nodded. A feeling of dread overcame him as he realized what he almost had just done.

SCU: You are a very intelligent Pikmin, Green.

Green: You were corrupted too, weren't you?

SCU: Yes.

Orange: Let's get out of here.

Orange and Green headed for the elevator, but pressing the button did nothing.

SCU: I have disabled the elevator. You will not be leaving.

Orange and Green nodded and wandered away, wondering how to escape.

 

  * **Something I liked doing in this chapter was playing the suspense back and forth. The previous chapter's cliffhanger makes you think they will open the portal. But here at the beginning, Green deduces its true nature, averting danger. And then yet, SCU keeps them trapped in the room. And so circumstances will continue to play out over the chapter, favoring one outcome or the other: the portal's opening or its remaining closed.**



 

**MEANWHILE**

 

In SCU's main control room, the Strongdrone 3 continued its slow approach to White, Light Blue, Light Green, Rock, Winged, and Finned. It had attached its skeletal arm, and apart from gaps in its coverings showing wiring, it seemed quite complete for combat, and ready to demolish the Pikmin.

 

  * **A detail I had forgotten to mention at the end of the previous chapter was that the Strongdrone's arm had been attached (as the group had discovered it separate when they found the drone inactive). So it was mentioned here instead.**



 

White immediately took lead of the group.

White: Alright. Light Blue, I want you to stay back with the young ones, you need to save your light energy for healing, while Light Green and I take this on for now. I may need to call any of the four of you into the fight, however. Understood?

 

  * **This situation is setting up White for his future leadership role later in the story.**



 

Everyone nodded, and the Strongdrone continued to stomp the floor with thuds. White thought quickly. The machines they had fought previously would absorb light energy, but if overwhelmed with too much, could be damaged. But this new drone was quite large, perhaps too large for all of the present Light Pikmin's energy to be of any use. But perhaps light energy could be utilized in a different way...

White: Light Green, charge us with your light energy to increase our strength.

Light Green nodded and quickly did that, and the two felt invigorated. Although Light Pikmin normally had light energy within their bodies, they didn't always have it strengthening their muscles for combat, hence why Light Green's charge was necessary.

White: Let's trick it!

White and Light Green ran towards the Strongdrone. It raised both of its arms. The two Pikmin quickly dashed back a few feet as the Strongdrone slammed its arms down onto the floor.

White: Now on top!

White and Light Green climbed up its arms up to its head, and holding on, began to beat the Strongdrone's head repeatedly with their light-charged stems. Light Green also banged his sword against it. The Strongdrone leaned its head back slightly, and then swung forward, hurling White and Light Green across the room. The other four Pikmin dodged the two.

The two landed on the floor with a thud. The other four quickly helped them up, and Light Blue used a little bit of his light energy to heal them both. The Strongdrone continued its approach.

 

**MEANWHILE**

 

The Dark Pikmin and Pik Clones continued to battle the Strongdrones (Model 2) and Signal Drones as they hurried through the fourth floor. The Strongdrones continued to use brute force, as the Signal Drones sent signals into the Pik Clones' head devices, causing them confusion and slowing their efforts. A Camera Drone scanned Ki-Pr as he was surrounded by Pik Clone captors. A Strongdrone approached to attack, but then halted at the sight of Ki-Pr. SCU's voice was then heard on the speakers.

SCU: Ki-Pr, would I be correct in thinking that you are now a member of the Shadow Race?

Ki-Pr: Yes, yes, indeed. And you may identify me as Shadow Ki-Pr for the sake of avoiding confusion.

 

  * **Now that SCU has verified Shadow Ki-Pr's true identity, he is now under his authority, having been corrupted to follow the orders of the Shadow Race.**



 

The Pik Clones surrounding him seemed too distracted by the on-going fighting to pay attention to his conversation with SCU.

SCU: Very well. Your ploy against the Pikmin nearly succeeded, but they figured it out in time. I am now holding them at the top of the spire, and I will need your assistance in getting the portal open.

Shadow Ki-Pr: These Dark Pikmin seek to open it...

SCU: Very well.

All of the combat drones suddenly stopped fighting, much to the Dark Pikmin and Pik Clones' surprise.

Dark Finned: Welp, easier for us.

The group carried onward.

 

**BACK WITH WHITE'S GROUP**

 

The Strongdrone 3 swung its arms, sending computers flying and smashing, as the Pikmin evaded attack. White continued to think fast.

White: Winged, we need your flight! Can you help attack?

Winged: Yes...

Light Blue: Don't do anything you don't want to!

Winged nodded, but still looked to White for orders. White nodded to Light Green, who charged her with light energy. White, Light Green, and Winged then made their way for the Strongdrone again. White and Light Green had wanted to trick the Strongdrone into attacking them again, but either the drone or SCU seemed to have caught on to this tactic, and the drone pulled a trick of its own, halting its arms in mid-air, and then swinging them upward. Winged barely dodged its fists, but the wave of air knocked her onto the floor behind the drone.

Light Blue: Winged! Are you alright?!

Winged: Yes...

Winged picked herself up and started to hover from the floor. White, examining the drone, came up with a new plan of attack.

White: We need to attack around its covering.

Light Green: That could electrocute us.

White: Just don't attack the wires. We just need to get as much covering as we can off. I've got an idea. We need Finned to help.

Finned nodded with looks of excitement. Light Green charged her with light energy. White, Light Green, and Finned then ran and leaped onto the drone's front, as Winged flew overhead towards the front as well, and they held onto the gaps in the covering. They tried to forcefully beat around the gaps to tear them open further. The drone then held its arms outwards, sideways, preparing to do something.

Light Blue: Get off! Now!

White, Light Green, and Finned dropped just in time as the drone swung its arms around onto its front, damaging itself.

SCU: You are very effective fighters.

 

As the Pikmin fought, the Dark Pikmin, Pik Clones, and Shadow Ki-Pr moved to the elevator outside the room. They took notice of the fighting going on through the open door. Dark Finned shrugged, and they pressed the elevator button. SCU had already moved the elevator back down to the floor for them. As the elevator was quite large and wide, the entire group was able to fit in, though somewhat forcefully, as there was next to no space between the Dark Pikmin and clones. They rode the elevator up.

 

White: We need Rock's help with this next bit.

Rock: Me? I think I'm too clumsy.

White: We'll help you! Can you do it?

Rock: Yes, yes, I can!

White: Charge and then launch him.

Light Green nodded. Rock looked nervous as he charged him, and then with a small burst of energy, launched Rock forward against the front of the drone. Rock's body pierced open the front of the drone, sending pieces of the covering flying and exposing much of the central wiring. Rock landed, and White grabbed him and brought him back to the group.

Finned: Now what?

White: Now, Light Green, launch the debris.

Light Green nodded and ran towards the fragmented pieces of the drone's front covering lying on the floor. The drone looked to see what Light Green was doing, but instead of turning to attack him, it carried on towards the rest of the group, as though anticipating its inevitable destruction, and attempting to get one last good attack in on the group.

White: Light Green... hurry!

The group worried as the drone grew near.

Light Green: Its back is turned now!

White: We have to get past it. Hurry! Split up!

The group split in two and attempted to run along the walls. The drone, near Light Blue, Finned, and Rock, swung its arm. The three barely ducked as the drone smashed its arm through the main cube screen representing SCU, destroying it. It spun around and pounded its fists on the floor, causing the Pikmin to lose balance. It hurried towards them in its slow manner as they scrambled to get up.

White: Light Green!

The Strongdrone 3 came up on them, lifting its arms to smash them. Light Green burst light energy into the covering shards, causing them to dart towards the drone's front, just in time before it could smash the group of Pikmin. They tore through the wiring, causing electric sparks to burst from the drone until at last, it fell to its knees. The Pikmin managed to get away as it collapsed forward, inactive and beaten.

White: Great work from everyone!

Light Blue: Great work leading, White.

Light Blue healed them. As they turned to leave, the door shut on them. Light Green launched energy into the door to force it open and eventually short-circuit it while it was half-open.

 

  * **SCU shut the door in one last effort to expend their energy.**



 

Finned: SCU didn't really think that was going to work, did he?

Light Green: He was just trying to spend more of my energy.

The six carried on out of the room and over to the elevator. White pressed the down button.

White: It's not working.

Light Green: He must have disabled it. And he'll probably have more drones up here soon.

 

**TOP OF THE SPIRE**

 

Orange and Green had been attempting for a while to damage or destroy the key device or key slot, but to no avail. They then turned at the sound of the elevator doors opening, and the Dark Pikmin and Pik Clones emerged, along with Shadow Ki-Pr. A feeling of intense dread overcame Orange and Green.

Dark Finned: Well, look who's outnumbered!

Commander Alpha: It will be a pleasure to see Orange killed at last, after all he did to the Dark Pikmin! And his 2nd in command, Green, as well!

Orange: You have to stop this. This will not end well for either of us.

Commander Alpha: Kill him!

Dark Winged: No, let's hear him out.

Orange nodded.

Orange: That Gray Spectralid with you has been killed and possessed by a member of a dangerous species. He means for us to open this portal so that the species can get back through this portal and kill us all, just as they did the rest of the Gray Spectralids.

The other Dark Pikmin and Pik Clones glanced at Shadow Ki-Pr, but Dark Winged just shook her head.

Dark Winged: We're just here to extract the Rift Crystal.

Orange: If you could just take the crystal, then why did the Spectralid try to trick us into putting the key device here into the slot? Once that happens, the portal will open, and there will be nothing any of us can do to prevent it.

The Dark Pikmin pondered for a moment. Then Shadow Ki-Pr finally spoke up.

Shadow Ki-Pr: It is true... the Shadow Race will come forth. This is what I have been trying to achieve.

The Dark Pikmin's faces turned very wary.

Shadow Ki-Pr: But, listen, this could benefit you.

Orange: He's trying to deceive you!

Dark Rock: Shut up! I wanna hear what he has to say.

 

  * **Orange, of course, is right. Shadow Ki-Pr just wants their help in opening the portal, afterwards which the Shadow Race would likely kill all of the Dark Pikmin's forces. Of course, Dark Rock's mind is too consumed with power.**



 

Shadow Ki-Pr: I come from a realm that is very sensitive to dark energy.

Dark Rock: Dark energy? Like in us Dark Pikmin?

Shadow Ki-Pr: Hmm, I am not familiar with the biology of Dark Pikmin.

Dark Rock: We're made from dark energy from crystals.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Interesting. But I am using the term "dark energy" as in what is spread through all of space, expanding realities, and with the right technology, can be utilized to tear holes to other worlds. As I said, our realm is particularly sensitive to dark energy and its force through space, and as such, many have opened the way to our realm before by accident.

 

  * **When I first mentioned the real life scientific concept of dark energy in the previous chapter, something I had overlooked was that the Adventure of Orange universe already had a "dark energy" concept, referring to the seemingly supernatural power that produced the Dark Pikmin. So I chose to make that distinction here that there are two applications of the term "dark energy" in this story. However, I also thought it might be interesting if they were both in fact the same thing. What if the Dark Pikmin's energy is the same energy permeating the universe? So I hinted at that idea later in the story as well.  
**



 

The Dark Pikmin listened with interest, while Orange and Green listened with worry.

Shadow Ki-Pr: One of those tears led to this fortress. So we took over, and we took over quickly. Most of us, sadly, were tricked into going back through the portal. But I was among those who remained behind. And we hunted down and killed the last of the remaining Gray Spectralids in this world, including, at last, Ki-Pr.

The group continued to listen.

Shadow Ki-Pr: He had been entrusted with taking the key device so that we could not open the portal back. We spread through numerous creatures in our hunt. We had difficulty catching up to him, but we spread through enough areas to keep him cornered within a forest for a very long time. This kept him from leaving and getting the means to destroy the key device. But nonetheless, even within this forest, he was well-hidden from us. For decades, we could not find him.

The group continued to listen.

Shadow Ki-Pr: We eventually came into possession of item of unique psychic ability...

Orange: Seer-Eye's eye.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Yes. One of our race possessed the eye, and we also built a device used for the rest of us to see into it as well. And that is how we successfully found Ki-Pr. I killed him and took his body. And then I intended to make my way back here... but I was caught and imprisoned by Bulbears during the height of the Pikmin/Pikavore conflict in the past few years.

Green: I believe we are to thank for that.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Regardless, once things calmed down, I was able to escape. I made my way through the bog to find the Destination Room. I was nearly killed... but luckily, you Pikmin saved me.

Orange: It wasn't luck. None of this was. Light Green said that a dark presence was in Seer-Eye's eye, trying to influence the psychic visions. That was one of your race. It was trying to get us here.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Most likely. Due to its psychic power, it must have known that I would be killed. So it influenced the visions you all received to get you all on this quest to ensure that this key device would be brought back into the fortress to open this portal.

 

  * **So everything has been building up to this point, the point of the opening of the portal, for a long time, machinated in some form or other. And this is really what this chapter is about. This chapter is the climax and game-changer that concludes one phase of the story and begins the next.**



 

Green: Just as Light Green guessed.

Dark Rock: You still haven't told us how this all benefits us!

Shadow Ki-Pr: Well, as I've explained, we have gained access to many worlds, which we invade. And we can easily possess and kill a number of organic things. We are also quite intelligent. And we are also quite truthful our allies, as my telling this story has hopefully shown.

Dark Finned: Allies, you say?

Shadow Ki-Pr made a nodding motion with his body.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Yes. You align with us, and we aid you via our abilities and intelligence in taking over this world, and we let you have control over the other worlds we have invaded.

Orange shook his head in exasperation.

Dark Rock: Awesome!

Dark Finned: That is tempting...

Orange: You naive kids! You're going to get yourselves killed!

Shadow Ki-Pr: A naysayer. We can make an example of him.

Dark Rock: Yes!

Dark Winged: I don't know.

Dark Finned and Dark Rock sighed.

Shadow Ki-Pr: You can trust me, especially after everything I told you.

Green: He's lying.

 

  * **Green would know with the most reliability, of course, as Green Pikmin have a strong sense of intuition.**



 

Shadow Ki-Pr: They are the liars.

Dark Winged whispered to the other Dark Pikmin.

Dark Winged: Let's just get the Rift Crystal and go. Let's not risk anything else.

Dark Finned and Dark Rock pondered, as Orange and Green continued to feel dread, as they knew their lives were in the hands of naive Dark Pikmin newborns. Just then, the elevator doors opened. An exhausted-looking Light Green and Light Blue, as well as White, Finned, Rock, and Winged, emerged from the elevators. Everyone turned to see them.

Shadow Ki-Pr: SCU! Why did you let them up here?

SCU: I apologize. I disabled the elevator, but they must have used light energy to force the activation of the elevator after they disabled my Camera Drone watching them on the fifth level.

Light Green: Still enough light energy left for a fight...

Light Green lifted his sword in a combative stance.

 

  * **And so the titular battle of the chapter is about to commence.**



 

Orange: Light Green, you were right about everything! The Shadow Race has been trying to manipulate us into coming here! This device opens the portal, not destroys it! Ki-Pr is a shadow entity!

Light Green: We know.

Dark Rock: Enough! Let's kill those Pikmin now! Do it, clones!

Commander Alpha: Attack them!

And at this command, a spectacular battle broke out in the room. The massive group of Pik Clones moved to attack. Light Green, charged with what little light was left in him, began to swing his sword through the Pik Clones. Light Blue also jumped into attack with his own light energy, and White, Finned, Rock, and Winged jumped (and flew) into ordinary attack. Green began to swing his own sword towards the surrounding Pik Clones. Bursts of light energy blasted through the room, and Pik Clones yelled as they went flying, some dead, as their ghosts floated away.

 

  * **Something else I liked about this chapter is how all of the anxious suspense about whether the portal would be opened or not has built up to this last frantic battle.**



 

Orange attempted to get through the crowd of fighters to Light Blue.

Orange: Do you have enough energy to get the elevator back down?

Light Blue: Maybe, just barely! We have to get out now!

Light Blue blasted more Pik Clones. Green joined next to Light Green in a frenzy of swinging sword slashes against Pik Clones. Some Pik Clones forced Finned onto the floor, but White pulled them off. The Pik Clones found that Rock was harder to hurt with their attacks, as was Winged, since she was in the air.

Dark Winged: I've got this.

Dark Winged lunged towards Winged in mid-air, slamming her to the floor. Dark Winged began to smack her neutral counterpart with her stem.

Rock: Get off of her!

Rock lunged towards Dark Winged, knocking her off of Winged. Pik Clones began to grab Rock and pull him back. Dark Winged and Winged both got up and flew up into the air. Dark Winged began to aggressively attack at Winged, who made attempts to dodge, some successful and some not.

Dark Rock: Argh!

Dark Rock lunged at Green and Light Green, who both evaded the attack. They both attempted to slash him with their swords, but their swords did little against his hard body. They quickly found themselves spinning around and slashing at more on-coming Pik Clones.

SCU: Shall I bring drones up here?

SCU scanned the battle via the Camera Drone.

Shadow Ki-Pr: No... they will make excellent hosts.

 

  * **"Hosts", meaning bodies for the Shadow entities to use.**



 

Light Blue and Orange fought through the crowd, getting nearer to the elevator, smacking some off as they attempted to attack. Light Blue noticed that the others were not getting near the elevator.

Light Blue: Come on!!

Dark Finned managed to make a strong lunge against Orange, knocking him to the ground and causing him to lose the key device. It rolled across the floor. Orange smacked her face with his stem, and she struggled to hold him down. Light Blue continued to fight off more Pik Clones.

Winged flew through the crowd to get away from Dark Winged. Winged, however, found herself knocked to the floor by a Pik Clone. Dark Winged began to approach her, but White leaped and attacked Dark Winged, knocking her to the floor.

Orange continued to struggle with Dark Finned. As he did, he noticed something horrifying. Shadow Ki-Pr was holding the key device, and flying in the direction of the key slot.

Orange: STOP HIM!!!

 

  * **The panic of the situation intensifies!**



 

Light Green, hearing Orange's yell, took notice. He ran towards Shadow Ki-Pr. Things seemed to slow as Shadow Ki-Pr grew nearer towards the key slot and Light Green hurried over. The noticing Pik Group members' hearts raced as they saw what was happening, all of them being held back by Pik Clone combat, except for Light Green, who continued to hurry towards Shadow Ki-Pr.

The possessed Spectralid was just about to place the device in the slot when Light Green slashed his sword through part of his wing, causing him to yell and drop to the floor. A sense of relief filled the noticing Pikmin.

Just then, unexpectedly, the Camera Drone swooped to knock Light Green aside onto the floor. Light Green picked himself up and swung his sword through the Camera Drone, slicing it in half, and its two halves hit the floor. Light Green then looked and noticed the unthinkable -- the Gray Spectralid, struggling to fly with a bleeding left wing, turning the key device into the slot.

Light Green: No!!!

Light Green rushed over, but it was too late. The mechanical motion of the Portal Dome could be heard as its front section lifted up. This noise prompted the battle to a halt, as everyone in the room took notice of what was happening. The front section of the dome lifted over behind its back section, revealing a tall rod on the floor, and a round, shiny crystal - the Rift Crystal - situated at the top. The sounds of loud computerized beeping and humming could be heard starting up. And then the sound of a surge of energy.

The nodules from the outer rim of the portal dome launched electrical currents into the Rift Crystal. The sound of electrical energy could be heard building in the crystal for a second before nodules on the rod blasted more electrical currents back upwards into the dome. And then, they all saw as the dome's interior seemed to disappear in the electric currents, getting wavy and then fading into a pool of images which seemed to ripple like water, images that almost seemed to represent tunnels. Tunnels through dimensions.

The room had fallen into an eerie silence, apart from the continued sounds of computerized beeping and humming as well as the sounds of energy beaming from the nodules beneath the Rift Crystal. Light Green attempted to pull on the key device, but it was stuck in the slot.

Shadow Ki-Pr: It is locked in place. It can only be disabled from the maintenance shaft beneath this floor. ...Good luck with that!

Shadow Ki-Pr laughed and Light Green looked back to the portal. A sense of horror filled the Pikmin, and confusion in the Dark Pikmin. Light Green ran towards the Rift Crystal, mustering up all of the light energy he had.

He aimed his sword towards the Rift Crystal and launched a beam of light energy towards it. As he did this, a dark wisp materialized through the portal into this world and flew to the Rift Crystal. The light energy and dark wisp seemed to hit the crystal at the same time. Light Green continuously blasted light energy at the crystal, as the dark wisp seemed to create some resistance against it. Both the light energy and the dark wisp were caught in a struggle. Light Green, trying to shatter the Rift Crystal and halt the flow of energy creating the portal, and the Shadow Race entity, trying desperately to halt Light Green's efforts in order to keep the portal open.

 

  * **So a Shadow entity has emerged from the portal and is now trying to stop Light Green's power from destroying the Rift Crystal. I enjoy adding all of the little frantic moments.**



 

As this struggle went on, Shadow Ki-Pr flew over to stop Light Green, slowed by his wing injury. The Dark Pikmin, uncertain as to what to do, did not take action. White shoved Dark Winged away from the crowd and got a hold of her. Orange and Light Blue also got a hold of Dark Finned, pulling her from the crowd. Green remained in the midst of the Pik Clones. Dark Rock ran over to stop Light Green from trying to destroy the Rift Crystal. Rock, Winged, and Finned made way towards them to stop him and Shadow Ki-Pr.

The struggle between Light Green's energy burst and the Shadow Entity's resistance continued on. Just as Shadow Ki-Pr, Dark Rock, and the Pik Group newbs got near Light Green, the standoff came to an explosive conclusion. The Rift Crystal burst into pieces in a blast of energy. A shard remained situated on the staff, held onto by the Shadow Entity. The other shards went flying through the portal. The pool of images seemed to diminish into a select few. Light Green turned towards everyone.

Light Green: They are coming. We don't have much time. Get in.

 

  * **Sometimes, certain elements in my mind's imagining get lost in the writing as I don't take the time to fully describe everything I'm picturing and try to hurry through the plot. For example, my imagining of this moment of Light Green's line would have been another somewhat dramatic moment as everyone is paused in almost slow-motion, only silence and ambient noises around them.**



 

The three Pikmin newbs grabbed Shadow Ki-Pr and Dark Rock and pushed through the portal. As they pushed through, Light Green joined them.

Commander Alpha: What orders, my mistresses?

Dark Finned: I don't know...

Dark Winged: Get in the portal! We have to survive!

Commander Alpha: You two first!

Orange: Come on, White.

White, directing Dark Winged, quickly ran through the room.

Light Blue: I'm staying behind to make sure everyone gets through. Go!

White nodded and hurried with Dark Winged on through the room, past the rod with the single crystal shard, and entering the portal.

Orange: Release Green to us.

Commander Alpha: Get Dark Finned through the portal, and then we will give you your comrade.

Green: Just go!

Light Blue: No!

Orange: We're not leaving without you!

As they argued, many more dark wisps - Shadow Entities - came through the portal.

Dark Finned: Look out!

The Shadow Entities darted into several Pik Clones. The clones began to scream as they fell to the ground, writhing in pain as the Shadow Entities overtook them. A horrified panic overcame all of the Pikmin.

Commander Alpha: GET HER TO SAFETY!

Light Blue: RELEASE HIM!

Orange: No time.

 

  * **Orange had wanted Commander Alpha to release Green, but now he realizes that they need to go right now, as the Shadow entities begin to emerge into the room.**



 

Orange forced Light Blue and Dark Finned in a hurry over to the portal. Ghosts floated away from the possessed Pik Clones, and they began to fight against the other Pik Clones. Light Blue struggled against Orange and Dark Finned.

Light Blue: NO! NO!

Light Blue blasted Orange and Dark Finned back with light energy. Orange grabbed a computer and smacked Light Blue over the head with it, knocking him unconscious. Orange, and oddly with help from Dark Finned, carried Light Blue towards the portal. They ran aside as more Shadow Entities floated through the portal and darted towards the Pik Clones. More screamed. Orange and Dark Finned then hurried through the portal, dragging Light Blue with them.

 

  * **This was arguably the worst point in Orange and Light Blue's early rivalry in this story, as the two now are physically fighting each other. However, it's short-lived. Also take note of Dark Finned's behavior. This is an early nuance showing that Dark Finned is perhaps not as inherently bad as we would presume a Dark Pikmin to be.**



 

  * **Something I didn't make note of here in this moment were the electrical currents shooting from the rod into the dome. But there would have still been space to walk through.**



 

  * **I remember early during the planning of this story, I had considered two possibilities about how they would go through the portal. My first imagining was that when Light Green and the Shadow Entity exploded the Crystal, the explosive flash in itself would pull everyone to the different universes. However, I later decided it would be more dramatic to see the group hurry through the portal one by one as the Shadow entities started to invade.**



 

They moved through a wavy spatial tunnel, an image of something blueish-white ahead. After a moment, they found themselves flying through air in a white flash accompanied by an electrical sound. They moved a long distance through the air and then tumbled to the ground.

Orange gazed up and saw a dark, starry sky above. He felt the ground very cold beneath him. He struggled to stand up, and saw surrounding him, a snowy landscape, with snowy trees near by. Dark Finned also struggled to stand. Orange checked the unconscious Light Blue's injuries. He seemed like he would be alright.

Dark Finned: Where... are we?

Orange: ...Another universe.

 

  * **This was one last dramatic element I enjoyed adding. After all of the build up of tension and action, I like how the protagonists are jerked away from the conflict, off into the middle of nowhere. Whenever I see that happen in a story, it creates a kind of mood I find interesting, as the characters recover and calm down in the shock of everything that just happened.**



 

Orange looked around.

Orange: Do you see the portal anywhere?

Dark Finned: No...

Just then, a flash of light appeared before them, startling them. It waved through space. Then Light Green's partial image appeared.

Orange: Light Green!

And then White's image appeared as well.

Light Green: I absorbed some energy from the Rift Crystal in this sword. I'm using that to communicate through dimensions.

Orange: I can see that...

Light Green: I'm trying to focus on the spirits of everyone in order to get in contact, but I can't seem to get to Green's.

 

  * **This is one of the early references to the more spiritual aspects of the story's mythology.**



 

Orange: I don't know that he made it...

 

  * **One last bit of tension: Did Green survive?**



 

Worry and sadness filled the Pik Group members.

Orange: They were coming through. I had to force Light Blue with me, he's unconscious. I've got Dark Finned as well.

White: I've got Dark Winged.

Light Green: I've got Rock, Winged, Finned, Dark Rock, and Ki-Pr.

Green's image then appeared.

Green: I've got what's left of the Pik Clones.

A feeling of relief and joy filled the other members.

Green: We barely made it through. More came through.

 

  * **Something I wondered is if the audience would think Green had been possessed by a Shadow Entity. Of course, as I never had much of an audience, I never knew. But Green is definitely himself here. Since Light Green is using his power to focus on Green's spirit, this would have to be the real Green.**



 

Orange: I can't seem to see the portal.

Light Green: We can't see it either. The force of the dimensional travel must have launched each of us some distance from it.

Green: The Shadow Race may be coming into these worlds soon.

Light Green nodded.

Light Green: When the Rift Crystal shattered, shards went through the portal, and the pool of different passages to worlds seemed to diminish into just a few possible ones. The Shadow Entity fighting me held on to a shard of the Rift Crystal, and stabilized passage to its own realm in doing so. I think a shard also landed in each of these other dimensions as well, and is somehow stabilizing each dimensional passage.

White: How is that possible? I thought the electrical energy is what tore open the dimensional holes? How are the shards of the Rift Crystal keeping them open?

Light Green: I'm not sure, but it seems to be the case.

 

  * **This was something I hadn't really thought about in the early planning of this story, but I started to consider it more as I tried to develop a consistent sense of logic/science to how the dimensional travel works. So this mystery of the Rift Crystal's power would pave the way for more of the spiritual qualities that would come later in the story.**



 

Orange: Then we need to find each of those shards and bring them back together and destroy them to seal the passages back.

Light Green, White, and Green nodded in agreement.

Light Green: I only have a little of this energy from the Rift Crystal, so I need to conserve it. I'll need to limit our interdimensional communication.

The others nodded.

Light Green: Alright, I'm going to turn this off for now. Let's find those shards.

The wave of light then faded. Orange turned to Dark Finned.

Orange: Will you help us?

Dark Finned nodded, still looking shocked from all of the events which had just transpired.

Orange: Good.

And so the next part of this adventure began...

  

  * **And so this marks the conclusion of the first act of The Adventure of Orange X: The Way Between Realms. For the first 8 chapters, the story centered around reintroducing the old characters, introducing the new ones, the Spire Fortress conflict, and building up to the opening of the portal. The next batch of chapters will explore the other universes, and feature the group's attempts to reunite and shut down the portal.**



 

  * **Part 8: Battle Atop the Spire was my favorite chapter from the first act of the story, and probably one of my top 5 favorite chapters from the story as a whole. I feel it marks an exciting and dramatic turning point in the story.**




	9. Realm of the Annihilated with Commentary

**Part 9: Realm of the Annihilated**

 

  * **So now begins the second act of this story. In the ensuing chapters, the characters are separated into different universes, and attempt to relocate a shard of the Rift Crystal from each universe, reassemble the Crystal, and ultimately stop the Shadow Race from pouring through the dimensional portal. But the big feature of this act is that these universes show alternate outcomes of previously established events from the series.**



 

  * **The parallel universes storyline was something I was excited to explore. When I first conceived The Adventure of Orange X, the main "feature" of its plot to my mind was the cluster of chapters dealing with the other realms, and hence once of the reasons why the story was subtitled The Way Between Realms. Also, back when I had been developing what are now the Untold Stories featuring a new generation of characters, I sometimes even then considered changing my mind and featuring the original characters in another adventure. And a plot I was always interested in utilizing for them was some kind of alternate timeline scenario in which dead heroes and villains are brought back to life or have achieved something they did not in the original timeline. I later revised that to universes rather than timelines, as I did not want to have time travel rewrite the events of the story. But essentially it achieves the same narrative purpose. And so I finally got to explore an interesting storyline that I had considered for years.**



 

  * **"Realm of the Annihilated" is an allusion to the title of the third story, The Adventure of Orange 3: The Annihilation of Pikmin.**



 

_A blurry image of the Bomb-Fortress Control Room and the computer's pie chart timer with 8 minutes remaining._

_Orange: It's time for me to do this._

_Yellow: Stop! Get out of here. You're wasting time. The fortress is going to fall apart. You need to get out while you still can. Go!_

_Orange ran from the room with regret. Suddenly, a large chunk of a wall collapsed and fell on Orange. A sharp end had stabbed him in the side. Orange was then standing on the battlefield outside._

_Orange: I have already accepted my death. I would like to be finishing our task during my final minutes. Please, let's return to the fight._

_Light Blue: Then let's do that. It's his dying wish._

 

  * **This first scene is a dream of a flashback, denoted by the italics. The first batch of lines are copied and pasted from the final chapter of AoO3. Although in the original chapter, they were separated between different scenes and lines, and here in the dream they are mixed together. I also edited some of the writing. (For example, in the original chapter, Orange simply "left" the room with regret. For this flashback I changed it to Orange "ran from" the room with regret).**



 

  *   **Just as the first chapter of AoOX opens with a flashback to Orange's memory of the AoO3 ending, I chose to revisit that in the opening scene of the second act. It also works well as an opening since it contrasts with the chapter's subject material. The opening dream recalls our reality in which the Pik Group successfully averted the coming doom in AoO3's ending. But the rest of the chapter explores a reality where they failed to do so.**



 

_Then an image of Red._

_Red: It's not your time yet, my friend._

_Then Orange saw Green, White, Light Blue, and Light Green standing over him as he was lying on a bed._

_White: It's a miracle._

_Light Green: Orange, you nearly died, but the medics were able to seal your wound back up. The medics said your nerves gave out from continuing to try to run and fight with the injury. You're going to need a wheelchair._

_Green: Maybe in time, one day, the Light Pikmin will have learned to master their powers for healing use._

_Light Blue shook his head and walked out of the tent._

 

  * **This part of the dream provides the audience with new information, revisiting the new moments established in the first scene of the first chapter of AoOX. There are a couple of lines from that chapter here, as well as a couple of omissions. But largely it's new. Worth taking note of is that the image of Red that Orange saw now speaks a line, "It's not your time yet, my friend." Orange's sighting of Red is a mystery that continues to unravel over the rest of the story.**



 

Orange awoke from his dream about the past. It was now a thin daylight, and he stood up, looking around at the branches of the snowy trees that he had been sleeping in. He had slept for several hours (except for one point when he had been briefly woken up by Light Green for an interdimensional briefing). Light Blue and Dark Finned were also awake and up in the branches with him. Light Blue bore a resentful look.

 

  * **In the parentheses of this paragraph, it's mentioned that Light Green had briefly woken Orange up before he went back to sleep. Although we do not see that scene in this chapter, we will see it in the coming chapters. There are two briefings in total, but we will witness them from the perspective of each of the four groups. I had written the content of the briefings after I had written this chapter, and then retroactively added mention of them back into this one. I didn't feel that the first briefing flowed well with the beginning of this chapter, so I only slightly alluded to it in parentheses.**



 

Light Blue: Had enough sleep?

Orange: Yeah. And yourself?

Light Blue just shook his head at Orange's remark, as Orange had last knocked Light Blue unconscious and forced him through the portal with him.

Orange: Rest is good. We'll need it for the journey ahead.

Light Blue: That's interesting, coming from someone so dangerously reckless.

Orange: Hey, don't talk to me about that. You were the one who was about to get killed for trying to stay in the fortress.

Light Blue: You took a rest while I was unconscious and unable to watch and make sure that more of the Shadow Race didn't come through and kill us.

Orange: That's why we went up to the tree. Don't bother thanking me.

Light Blue: You... are hopeless. We could have been killed in our sleep by that.

Light Blue pointed at Dark Finned, who had a surprised look.

Orange: What is she going to do, wake one of us up trying to kill the other and then get killed herself? Or wander around alone in the wilderness?

Light Blue: Dark Pikmin are reckless, like you.

Dark Finned: In case you didn't notice, I didn't kill either of you.

Light Blue was silent with disapproval.

Orange: It's time to get a move on. We need to find the shards. Did she fill you in on what happened?

Light Blue: Yes.

And so with that, the three Pikmin climbed down the branches onto the snowy ground, and carried onward with their journey. They wandered around for some time, trying to find where the shard might have landed. The icy ground made it particularly difficult to distinguish whether something was a shard of the Rift Crystal or not. Dark Finned also had other things on her mind, wondering how she could use Orange and Light Blue's animosity against them. Although she was temporarily united with them on this one journey, she still considered them her nemeses.

 

  * **So the structure of these chapters follows a single group in a single universe in a single chapter each. When I was first plotting out the story, I considered alternating between multiple narratives in one chapter. However, I thought that would be too confusing for the audience. I much preferred to only focus on one universe at a time before moving on to the next. For Chapters 9 and 10, we explore the universe so called the "Realm of the Annihilated", and following the perspective of Orange, Light Blue, and Dark Finned.**



 

  * **When dividing the characters into separate groups for these chapters, I wanted to make the selections meaningful for each group. Because Orange and Light Blue's friction has been a major arc of the story's first act, I wanted to throw them together on this adventure and bring closure to their relationship arc early on. I also included Dark Finned in this group as an opportunity for her to see devastation of the Realm of the Annihilated. She is the Dark Pikmin who is most on the fence between being rational and aggressive, so I felt her reaction to the previous Dark Pikmin group's atrocities would be the most relevant between the 3 newcomers.**



 

  * **I'm also reminded of the atmosphere of these first scenes. Very icy and bleak. I remember I had taken a holiday break after finishing Act I of the story in December 2014, and then returned in the middle of January 2015. I remember it was pretty cold even in real life as I typed it, a little similar to the temperature now as I type this commentary. To enhance my writing mindset, I also played the "Phendrana Drifts" music from Metroid Prime as I wrote this chapter. This was something I occasionally did in general - playing music from familiar franchises (be they games, shows, or movies) to capture a mindset I wanted for certain chapters. Similarly, I've chosen to play the same track again now as I revisit this chapter for the commentary.**



 

  * **While this chapter's focal point is to feature a parallel universe to the main one, it also gave me an opportunity to include a "snow-themed" area. As The Adventure of Orange is based on video games, I like to include a diversity of different kinds of areas for the characters to venture through.**



 

The Pikmin soon came upon something unusual. A small, poor camp of various species of Pikavores, with no shelter. Only some small wooden structures which various items were lain upon. Most of the Pikavores were also lying on wooden plaques.

Light Blue: What is this place?

The three Pikmin moved closer to the camp as freezing wind blew between them. They began to more clearly hear a lot of painful moaning and whimpering from the Pikavores. Then they began to more clearly see that many of them had deformities and bad injuries and wounds like burns.

Light Blue: What happened here?

Light Blue was not fond of illness and injury in the living, not even in Pikavores. This sight troubled him greatly.

Snitchbug Medic: Who are you? Are you hurt? Or have you come to bring harm?

The Swooping Snitchbug, along with some other Pikavores, was among the few medics tending to the wounded. But even the Snitchbug Medic herself had unusual burns on her body, as did all the other medics, some who had deformities as well, though not drastic enough to inhibit them from aiding the others.

Light Blue: We're not here to harm you. We're travelers.

Snitchbug Medic: There are no travelers in these lands.

Orange: We arrived here by accident. We were... thrown a great distance.

Snitchbug Medic: I'm sorry to hear that. This is the last place you'd want to be thrown to.

Orange looked to Dark Finned, and saw from her expression that she, too, was greatly disturbed by this sight.

 

  * **At heart, Dark Finned is not purely like a traditional Dark Pikmin, though she has been indoctrinated to be by Commander Alpha.**



 

Orange: Where are we?

Snitchbug Medic: You are in what is left following a terrible explosion a few years ago.

Male Sheargrub Patient: Please... please end my pain.

The injured Sheargrub was lying on one of the plaques with terrible burns. The Snitchbug Medic looked at him with sadness and uncertainty. Uncertainty, Orange sensed, as to whether to put him out of his misery or keep him alive.

Light Blue: I can amend this right away with my powers.

Light Blue started to walk over to the Male Sheargrub.

Wollywog Medic: What are you doing?

Light Blue: I'm going to heal them all instantaneously...

Snitchbug Medic: No!

She grabbed him and stopped him, and the other medics all had concerned looks on their faces.

Light Blue: What are you doing?

Snitchbug Medic: We can't...

Light Blue: Why not?!

The Snitchbug Medic looked very nervously. She then turned to a couple of other medics.

Snitchbug Medic: Show them the explosion site and explain to them. And be careful. Don't get caught by spies.

The medics nodded. So Orange, Light Blue, and Dark Finned followed a Dweevil medic into a banged-up vehicle similar to a car, but with seats wide enough to hold large Pikavores. He turned the ignition.

Dweevil Medic: Good, it worked.

He turned to the Pikmin.

Dweevil Medic: This vehicle is in severe need of repairs. We keep expecting it to give out one of these days.

Light Blue: Then go drive to get repairs... Don't waste the last of its life on us!

Dweevil Medic: You don't understand... You will soon.

Orange: What about what the Snitchbug mentioned about spies? Is this really worth the risk?

Dweevil Medic: We drive out of our boundaries all the time. We just have to be careful not to be seen. But you deserve to know the truth as newcomers to this land. But it's more effective to _show_ you than to merely tell you.

The three Pikmin all exchanged puzzled glances as the Dweevil drove the vehicle. They rode for about an hour, watching as the snowy trees and grass began to fade into snowy, charred remains, as well as catching glimpses of a few similar camps of injured medics taking care of even more badly injured patients.

They eventually arrived at their destination: A snowy, charred field full of countless snowy, charred black Pikavore bodies laying on the ground, mainly concentrated in the middle. No trees were around, for they were all destroyed in the blast. No sound but the wind. Very far in the distance, barely noticeable through the snowy wind stood the remains of a castle which was similarly covered in snow and charred.

 

  * **I described this scene to be reminiscent of the sight of a nuclear explosion aftermath.**



 

Light Blue and Dark Finned both stood, horrified by the site of devastation surrounding them. The Dweevil Medic also a sad expression, though less horrified, as though he was used to seeing this sort of thing. Orange also stood, staring sadly but strongly at the surrounding location, starting to realize something.

 

  * **Writing error spotted! That should be "The Dweevil Medic also had a sad expression".**



 

Orange: Light Blue, I think we know this place.

Light Blue: How do we know this place?

Orange: That castle over there... Medic, did that castle belong to someone known as the Cloaked Figure?

Dweevil Medic: If that castle had an identity, it's long since been lost. A few years ago, the Dark Pikmin brought a weapon of mass destruction here. A fortress, converted into a massive bomb.

 

  * **This was a little detail that I seemed to remember from The Adventure of Orange 2. Although I'm not sure if I ever specifically described this in writing, I remember imagining that the portal to the World of Chaos was in the distance near the Cloaked Figure's old castle. So technically the castle should still be there, albeit not mentioned, all the way into the ending of AoO3 when the Dark Pikmin bring their Bomb-Fortress through the portal, at the site of where the final battle occurs.**



 

Orange: The Pik Group... did they not stop it?

Dweevil Medic: *confused look* ... No one stopped it. The Dark Pikmin turned on their own allies of evil. Armies of Bulbears, Snitchbugs, Bloysters, Mamutas, Owls, all decimated right here. They activated their bomb and escaped, leaving all for dead. They even killed their own Pik Clones. Dark Pikmin purism.

Orange: *quietly to himself* I don't understand... Where were we at?

 

  * **Orange understands that for some reason, the Pik Group did not stop the Dark Pikmin in this universe. So the question arises, why not? And that's a question answered in the next chapter.**



 

Dweevil Medic: The force of the blast expanded across an eighth of this island. All were killed, including the Bulborb and Wollywog kings as well. The radiation also spread to the rest of the island, affecting everyone on it. Eventually, the consequences of the explosion caused a drastic climate change which you now see. This entire island is experiencing a nuclear winter now.

Orange: This universe... In this universe, we never stopped the Bomb-Fortress. The Dark Pikmin succeeded. And this is the result.

Light Blue stared at the surrounding devastation still, thinking on the Pik Group's third adventure.

Light Blue: The Annihilation of Pikmin...

 

  * **In the years after I had finished AoO3, I wondered if the Pik Group's efforts to stop the Bomb-Fortress were really worth all the trouble. Who would be getting killed, really? So I wanted to explore the consequences in this chapter. Here, you see it unraveled, the suffering and destruction for the creatures living in this area now. It's an environmental ruin and a hazardous wasteland.**



 

Dark Finned, rather than being impressed with what the Dark Pikmin accomplished, was instead still horrified.

 

  * **Dark Finned's reaction here, I think says a lot about the difference between her and the old Dark Pikmin.**



 

Light Blue: None of this explains why you won't let me heal the wounded. I could do a lot of good for this world.

The Dweevil shook himself as one does to shake their head.

Dweevil Medic: We are being watched...

Light Blue: Watched? By whom?

Dweevil Medic: The Dark Pikmin... They took over this island and now we're under their rule. We rely on them for our survival equipment. They give us as little as they choose, and there's nothing we can do about it, except try to appease them to hopefully get more, if they're having a good day. They thrive in the devastation of this land. If you started healing our wounded, they would exterminate our camp.

The Pikmin were astounded.

Light Blue: A Dark Pikmin dictatorship...

 

  * **This was another question I had found interesting after AoO3. If the Dark Pikmin succeed, where do they go from there? So here we learn that they take advantage of the aftermath of their destructive plan, and dominate over the creatures living on this island, forcing them to be subservient to them.**



 

Dweevil Medic: Now, we must hurry and go back. We're not supposed to wander out too far.

The four got back in the vehicle and headed back for their camp.

Orange: I wonder what was different in this realm, why our Pik Group didn't stop this...

Light Blue: I'm sure it had something to do with this world's Orange's negligence of leadership.

Orange was tempted to respond, but held back and merely shook his head. The wavy light images of Light Green, Green, and White suddenly reappeared while they were riding.

 

  * **If appearance of the other Pikmin seems a little abrupt, I believe that's because I retroactively interjected this moment. I believe in the original writing, Orange shakes his head. Then we jump ahead an hour later after they've arrived back at the hospice camp.**



 

Light Green: How are things?

White: We've gotten our Rift Shard.

Green: I've located the Rift Shard here and am on my way to recovering it.

Orange: We still haven't found ours yet, but we're looking.

Light Green: I think I may know where ours is. We also had a bit of a situation. Shadow Ki-Pr got away, but we have three new companions as well. I don't have much rift energy left to explain too much. What do you know about your worlds?

White: Just what I told you earlier. It's some future generation. Orange is considered a legend here!

Green: Here, it appears that Orange never even existed. There is a war here they're calling the War Between Two Evils.

Orange: In our realm, the Dark Pikmin succeeded in blowing up the Bomb-Fortress.

Light Green: Interesting.

Light Green, taking in all of this information, quickly made a chart out of little waves of light energy to show the others.

 

World A / Green World / Main Realm: N/A / Shard Active  
World B / Red World / Realm of the Annihilated: Orange, Light Blue, Dark Finned / Shard Not Found  
World C / Black World / Realm of Two Evils: Green, Pik Clones / Shard Located  
World D / Brown World / Realm of Legends: White, Dark Winged / Shard Collected  
World E / Gray World / World of Paradise: Light Green, Rock, Winged, Finned, Dark Rock / Shard Probably Located

 

  * **All the alternative names for the universes was perhaps a little gratuitous, but I liked it as a nod to Fringe. Fans of that series often differentiated the parallel universes by colors and the parallel characters by letters, so I did something similar here. Of course, AoOX never had a fanbase, let alone an audience, so it didn't really serve a purpose in the end.**



 

  * **Speaking of an audience, my imagining was that the briefing scenes would provide material for speculation. The other groups reference things that we won't see yet until the next few chapters.**



 

  * **Although Light Green, who chose the colors randomly, is unaware of my intentions as the author, I had actually chosen the colors with specific traits of the universes in mind. I termed the Realm of the Annihilated the "Red World" for blood, as an allusion to the suffering and death. The "Black World" is an allusion to the evils at war in the Realm of Two Evils. The "Brown World" is an allusion to the cloth of a tapestry, on which murals of historical or legendary figures might be represented. The "Gray World" is an allusion to the Gray Spectralids and their technology. And the "Green World" is of course simply an allusion to the nature and life thriving in our own universe.**



 

  * **Just a minor piece of trivia, but I thought it was interesting here how each universe's shard had a different status.**



 

Light Green: Just to help us distinguish.

White: Light Green, try using your light energy to manipulate Dark Rock's dark energy. Dark Winged and I tried something similar to find our shard, and it worked.

Light Green: I will keep that in mind.

The Rift Crystal energy started to fade, and the Pik Group started to flicker away.

Light Green: I'm running out of energy!

And after a moment, the Pik Group's images vanished.

 

  * **I probably should have written a reaction from Orange, Light Blue, and Dark Finned to the disappearance of the images, as the loss of Light Green's crystal energy here effectively means the separate groups won't be able to communicate anymore. But, I believe I glossed over the detail of a reaction as I retroactively inserted this scene here.**



 

  * **There is also a specific timeline of events for what's happening at which times in all of the universes during this batch of chapters. I had written out the timeline for myself so that I could figure out when the briefings should occur and what each group should be doing before they eventually reunite. It was a very complicated timeline to follow, as each chapter moves along the timeline at a different pace. I may include the timeline in a later chapter of this commentary.**



 

Another hour passed, and the four arrived back at the camp.

Orange: Has anyone here seen something like a shard or piece of a clear gemstone? Like a crystal?

The medics shook their heads/bodies.

Orange: Well, we need to look for it.

Dark Finned: Yes, let's go. I don't like this.

Dark Finned looked in distress at the camp. Orange and Light Blue nodded. They started to leave, when suddenly, the sound of a flying vehicle overhead could be heard.

 

  * **This is this universe's equivalent of the same flying vehicle the Dark Pikmin of our universe recurrently used throughout AoO3. I don't believe I ever described how it looked, but in my mind I always saw a kind of miniature but bulkier version of Star Trek's Klingon Bird of Prey ships.**



 

Snitchbug Medic: Oh no... You three need to go! Hide!

A sense of dread overcame the Pikmin.

Wollywog Medic: It's too late! They may have already seen them here from the air! If we let them go, we'll all pay the consequences.

Orange: It's the Dark Pikmin, isn't it?

Snitchbug Medic: Yes.

Dark Finned: I have an idea! You and Light Blue just wait, I will work this out.

Orange and Light Blue looked confused. After a few minutes, the large flying vehicle landed on the ground. A ramp lowered and opened an entrance, and Dark Green walked down the ramp onto the ground. He still had a mechanical right arm in this realm, and was holding a sword in it.

Orange and Light Blue stood with a feeling of dread as Dark Green, looking astounded, came near them. He raised his sword up towards them.

 

  * **This was a moment I looked forward to revisiting. There's always a kind of excitement with revisiting a familiar, especially long dead character. I always am interested to recapture the character's personality and see where I can take them next. In particular, I have plans for Dark Green in this story, so of course he deserved the first introduction.**



 

Dark Green: How are you alive?

Dark Finned: I'll explain everything.

Everyone looked to Dark Finned.

Dark Green: Who... are you?

Dark Finned: I'm Dark Finned. I'm a Dark Pikmin, like you. And these two are my prisoners.

Light Blue: What? We're not your prisoners!

Dark Finned: Oh yes they are!

Dark Green: I see.

 

  * **Dark Finned is actually trying to save the lives of the trio, by acting as a Dark Pikmin and taking the other two prisoner. But she is also of course interested in simply joining with the Dark Pikmin she's been indoctrinated to revere, joining them as an equal. So she has complex, dual motivations here.**



 

A Bulborb Medic very nervously came over to Dark Green.

Bulborb Medic: So, will we get the vaccines promised?

The Snitchbug Medic had a look of a shock.

Snitchbug Medic: You... you turned these three over to the Dark Pikmin!

The Bulborb Medic nodded, and the Pikmin and medics looked shocked.

Bulborb Medic: Yes, I contacted the Dark Pikmin an hour ago. We need the vaccines in exchange for these trespassers into the Dark Pikmin's territory.

Dark Green aimed his sword towards the Bulborb.

Dark Green: And yet, you failed to mention that the Dweevil here drove these Pikmin out of your boundaries.

Bulborb Medic: Wh... what? How did you...

Dark Green: You know full well that we have eyes everywhere on this land.

Dweevil Medic: We... we must have been spotted by spies. I... I tried to be careful.

Dark Green: And now... now you will pay the price.

Dark Green turned towards the Dweevil, but Orange and Light Blue pounced him.

Dark Green: Argh!

Orange and Light Blue held him down. Then Dark Brown stepped down the ramp carrying a device.

Dark Brown: If you don't let Dark Green go, I will electrocute you both, Pik Group scum.

 

  * **This moment is very true to the characterizations of Dark Green and Dark Brown in AoO3. Dark Green often was pushed around, while Dark Brown carried devices he made and was threatening.**



 

Dark Finned: Wait!

Dark Finned jumped in the way.

Dark Finned: I'm a Dark Pikmin. They are my prisoners! I have... tortured and trained them into only obeying my orders.

She turned towards them.

Dark Finned: Come on now, Orange and Light Blue.

She then turned to Dark Brown.

Dark Finned: I will explain everything inside.

Dark Brown nodded. Dark Finned turned to Orange and Light Blue, who reluctantly got off of Dark Green. Dark Brown then walked over to Dark Green and kicked him in the side.

Dark Green: Ow!

Dark Brown: Stop being so useless!!!

 

  * **This moment calls back to AoO3 as well, as Dark Brown was often abusive towards Dark Green.**



 

Dark Brown aimed his device towards the Dweevil for a moment, as the Dweevil looked with sadness and fear, anticipating his coming death.

Dark Brown: No... Something more brutal.

Dark Brown grabbed Dark Green's sword from the ground, walked over to the Dweevil, and then slashed him. The Dweevil fell to the ground, groaning in pain as he bled to death. Orange, Light Blue, and Dark Finned were horrified.

Bulborb Medic: S... so... We've paid the price now for our crossing out of boundaries. Will you give us the vaccines?

Dark Brown: You will get nothing!!! The Dweevil paid the price for his violation of the law. Your attempt to hide his criminality will cost you the vaccines.

The Bulborb looked down in despair. Dark Green and Dark Brown took the three Pikmin up the ramp into the flying vehicle as the medics and patients watched in sadness at the events which just transpired.

 

  * **And this is the last we see of the hospice camp in this story. This whole scene, I think, highlights the brutality of the reality they live in. It can bring out the bad in everyone. The Bulborb Medic snitched our heroes to the Dark Pikmin. So the Bulborb Medic really did an uncharitable and immoral thing, turning over innocent newcomers to a cruel fate, though with charitable intentions. But ultimately he does not get the vaccines anyway due to the Dark Pikmin's cruelty. So we are left with a rather bleak outcome overall.**



 

  * **Something I thought about is that the Dark Pikmin do give supplies to hospice camps from time to time. But not out of any real kindness or generosity. Rather, out of the thought process of "the carrot and the stick". The Dark Pikmin realize they must eventually offer good things from time to time to keep their victims subservient. If it was 100% neglect and cruelty, then eventually the victims would perhaps rise up against the Dark Pikmin, who themselves are really quite outnumbered, having destroyed their forces in the explosion. But for the most part, they are unjust and cruel. In the particular situation of the scene above, they use cruelty to exercise their authority against their victims for breaking their rules. The Dweevil was killed for taking the heroes out of the Dark Pikmin's designated boundaries, and the Dark Pikmin withheld the vaccines for the Bulborb's neglect to mention the Dweevil's violation of the Dark Pikmin's law.**



 

The ramp closed as the five Pikmin entered the flying vehicle. They felt the vehicle lift off the ground and up into the air as they were taken to the cockpit. Seated in there were Dark Orange and Dark Yellow. They turned to see the three of them. Dark Orange's eyes grew suddenly very wide with unspeakable shock and hatred.

Dark Orange: You...

 

  * **And finally, the big moment when Orange and Dark Orange, bitter nemeses, reunite. The main hero and the main villain of the first three stories. Originally, I actually wrote Chapters 9 and 10 as a single chapter, Part 9: Realm of the Annihilated, covering the full journey of this universe. After completing it, however, I realized that the chapter was much longer than I preferred chapters to be, as I generally didn't like to exceed 20 pages. So I split the chapter in half, making Part 10 out of the second half, ending Part 9 on the cliffhanger of the reunion of Dark Orange, which I thought would be a dramatic stopping point. Some of the other chapters in this story also had to be split due to longevity.**



 

  * **Something I noticed after splitting the chapter was that Dark Yellow does not get a speaking line in the first half (or what is now the whole of Part 9), although you do see him in the cockpit seated near Dark Orange.**




	10. A World Warped with Commentary

**Part 10: A World Warped**

 

  * **So this is is the second half of "Realm of the Annihilated", and probably the most exposition-driven chapter of the story. With little action, mainly it's set in one location within the Dark Pikmin's aircraft as the characters converse.**



 

Dark Orange yelled and lunged forward, grabbing Orange by the neck. Orange struggled against him as his darker equivalent tried hard to break Orange's neck with a maddened face. The others struggled and finally pulled Dark Orange off of him.

Dark Yellow: Dark Orange, calm down!

 

  * **I thought this sudden introduction of Dark Orange raging an attack against Orange was a very interesting and unexpected way to start the chapter. Plus, it calls back to the rivalry between these two from the original trilogy. Dark Orange's motives in AoO3 were partially driven by revenge. So in an alternate reality where Orange is dead, Dark Orange would be very satisfied. Until, of course, he finds out he's still alive, which triggers all the rage to come roaring back.**



 

Dark Orange still had his terrible expression as Dark Green and Dark Brown struggled to hold him.

Dark Brown: We still need to find out how they got here, and if there are any others!

Dark Orange: You're... you're supposed to be dead! WE KILLED YOU!

Orange felt a haunting feeling, looking into Dark Orange's deranged eyes. Witnessing these long-dead villains all alive before them and holding them against their will was very disconcerting. Orange felt like he had taken a step back years through time.

 

  * **I felt similarly to Orange, as writing about the old Dark Pikmin villains and the flying vehicle they were riding in, really brought me back to my writing mindset of AoO3 from 7 years before. Although I never explained the Dark Pikmin's personalities in detail, I always intuitively understood them in writing their characters, as was the case with most characters from the original trilogy. Dark Orange is the most wrathful and determined in his vision and vendetta against the Pik Group, though this anger only gradually expressed itself over time. Dark Brown is the most physically aggressive, abusive and sadistic of the group, but also one of the most intelligent. Dark Yellow is a bit more mellow and levelheaded in his temperament than the rest, but just as malicious as they are at heart, and also one of the most intelligent. Dark Green has the worst self-esteem, frustrated, resentful, and feeling pushed around.**



 

Orange: Well, I killed you, too. What of it?

 

  * **Orange had killed Dark Orange by snapping his neck with his stem in the final chapter of AoO3.**



 

Dark Orange: No!! You didn't kill me!! You killed them all!!! You killed every last one of the original Dark Pikmin!!! I got my revenge on you!!! How are you here?!!

Orange: How did you kill me?

Dark Brown: Shut up! We ask the questions! What are you doing here?

Dark Finned: We're from another universe.

Orange and Light Blue were both exasperated.

Orange: I should have known you would turn to them the first chance you got.

Dark Finned shrugged.

Dark Brown: Tell us more.

Dark Finned: I think you'll like this... We're going to find a way to take over the universe! We can take over both of ours, in fact! We just need to find some things that were lost.

And so Dark Finned went on to explain to the four other Dark Pikmin the story of how they went through the Spire Fortress, traveled through the portal, and are now looking for the shards of the Rift Crystal. Orange and Light Blue worried of what this world's Dark Pikmin would make of this.

 

  * **As I've mentioned before, Dark Finned is on the fence. She relishes the opportunity to be able to join the honored Dark Pikmin she heard stories about. But once she is involved with the Dark Pikmin, she tends to be hurt by their ways.**



 

Light Blue: *whispering* Remember, Orange, these aren't our Dark Pikmin. They look like ours, but they are from this realm. They are different Pikmin who resemble the Pikmin we knew, essentially.

Orange nodded. He pondered this thought, wondering if this could mean a different outcome with these Dark Pikmin. And yet, he noticed they seemed to exhibit similar personalities to the Dark Pikmin he knew from his world. He wondered just what was different about this reality, why his look-alike from this world was killed.

 

  * **This is one of the topics I wanted to address with the parallel universe plot device. So in these other universes, you have people and places who look exactly alike and may seem exactly alike the world you are familiar with. But they aren't exactly the same, in virtue of inhabiting an alternate universe from our own. This raises philosophical questions about identity. Some people might say that a person's essential identity is determined by their memories or personality, which would mean that another version of yourself from another universe *is* you. I personally think there is more to identity than that. Two different things that seem just alike are still two different things. In my mind, although these Dark Pikmin are superficially nearly identical to the ones from the main universe, they are essentially different on an existential level.**



 

After several minutes, Dark Finned concluded.

Dark Yellow: That's pretty interesting. It lines up with what our radars picked up last night, an unusual electrical anomaly around this area. Maybe that was the portal opening.

Dark Brown: Dark Yellow, do you think you can trace the electrical signature of the Rift Shard?

Dark Yellow: I think I can!

Dark Yellow pressed some buttons on a console.

Dark Yellow: Aha, alright! This flying vehicle will now be headed towards the signature of the anomaly.

Dark Finned: Great! Once we reunite all the Rift Shards, we can reassemble the Rift Crystal. You guys can build something that will allow us to use it to go through universes.

Dark Brown nodded.

Dark Finned: And then we Dark Pikmin can rule!

Dark Orange: The four of us will rule, and you will serve us. You're a strange hue of Pikmin from another reality. Don't think that you maintain our level of purity.

Dark Finned: Oh... of course not.

 

  * **Here, even Dark Orange acknowledges his own belief in a distinction between realities. Of course, it is driven by his sense of self-superiority, his belief in a purism of the Dark Pikmin of this world and this world only.**



 

Dark Brown: I think Dark Green's been alone far too long in being our punching bag who does all the dirty work.

Dark Green looked incredibly irritated with Dark Brown. Dark Finned looked down in disappointment.

Dark Orange: Now we kill Orange and Light Blue.

Dark Brown: No! We need them alive to exploit them for information about their realm's Pik Group and world.

Dark Finned: I know things about the world!

Dark Brown: You know next to nothing, from what you've just told us. You were only recently plucked from the ground. You're a stupid child.

Dark Finned looked down again in humiliation.

Dark Orange: Alright then. If we can't kill them, then I want to know how Orange killed my double from his world.

Orange: I led our group into the Bomb-Fortress, and...

Orange began to think again on what Light Blue had said about these Dark Pikmin being different, as it is a different universe. Could they be persuaded?

Orange: I tried to tell our Dark Orange something, but he wouldn't listen.

Dark Orange: Tell him what?

Orange: Centuries ago, the Light and Dark Pikmin were friends. I learned this through an entity called the One of Sorrow. It manifested in the forms of the dead. We thought it was something malevolent trying to feed off of our sadness, but it really wanted to depress us out of going to war. It was trying to stop us, because it had witnessed that Light and Dark Pikmin were once friends. They separated and grew hostile over one petty and childish disagreement.

Dark Orange's hateful expression was unchanged.

Dark Orange: And what point are you trying to make?

Orange: My point is, we don't have to be in conflict. Light and Dark Pikmin are not inherently opposed. It's just colors. Maybe slightly different predispositions in personality.

 

  * **This calls back to a moment from the AoO3 final chapter, when Orange told Dark Orange about the Light and Dark Pikmin's prior history. Orange hoped he could persuade Dark Orange to change the Dark Pikmin's ways, as history has shown they don't have to be inherently opposed. But Dark Orange was unmoved and fought anyway. So now, presented with an opportunity with an alternate Dark Orange, Orange is trying again, this time with more careful reasoning.**



 

Dark Orange shook his head.

Dark Orange: Even if that were true, if that applied to this universe, if I cared about generations long past... Your kind killed mine. Black, Wine, Navy, Dark Purple, and Dark Bulb, all dead because of you Neutral and Light Pikmin.

Orange: For a time, you also enlisted a Neutral, Gray, in your group, did you not? What about the Litrals and Dartrals?

Dark Orange's hateful expression simply worsened.

Dark Orange: I hate you forever!!!

 

  * **Some people we come across in life, we can simply do nothing for. Maybe they can be helped by someone else in some other point in time. But for us, for all intents and purposes, they are a lost cause. And in this case, Dark Orange is such a lost cause. This is someone too clung to irrational hatred to be interested in peace. Orange challenging his views with reason only turns him more enraged.**



 

Orange shook his head in disgust.

Orange: Even in this universe, you won't listen to reason. Maybe it's just in your nature to be like this no matter what universe you're from. Maybe it's in the Dark Pikmin's nature.

Orange and Dark Orange looked at each other with a deep antagonism. Dark Finned, however, pondered everything Orange had said. To her, maybe allying with non-Dark Pikmin wasn't such a terrible thing. But she dared not to say anything in front of the other Dark Pikmin.

 

  * **Once again, the question of one's essential identity or nature comes up. Orange realizes that, like the Dark Orange of our universe, the Dark Orange of this universe will never choose peace, only conflict. Orange wonders if this is a necessary component of any Dark Orange's nature. I don't think this is necessarily the case myself. But this Dark Orange is certainly similar to the old one, making similar free-willed choices.**



 

  * **One of the subjects I wanted to address in an AoO sequel was whether Dark Pikmin are inherently bad or can choose good. So now we see Dark Finned considering Orange's suggestion. The truth is that, in fact, Dark Pikmin are capable of choosing good as any Pikmin is capable of doing. Their darker physique does not make them evil. It is their choices.**



 

  * **I liked the image of Orange and Dark Orange just staring at each other with deep contempt. I imagine that if this were a movie of sorts, that this would be a good screen still. These two archenemies, light and dark, silently conveying their rivalry to one another from either side of the room.**



 

Dark Yellow: So, you never did say, how did you kill Dark Orange?

Orange: Well, when he wouldn't listen, we fought, and I broke his neck. It seemed that the conflict between Dark Pikmin and non-dark was a hopeless cycle. Green knocked Dark Green into an electrical wiring system. Light Green severed Brown's head.

 

  * **Error spotted: this should be "Light Green severed Dark Brown's head."**



 

Dark Orange, Dark Green, and Dark Brown exchanged glances.

Dark Yellow: Well, how'd your Dark Yellow die?

Orange: Yellow killed him in the device room, but I never got to ask him how before he died.

Dark Yellow: The device room? That room had the incinerator. Hopefully it wasn't something grisly like that...

Orange: In this war? I wouldn't count on it not being grisly.

Light Blue: I seem to recall hearing screaming at one point in the fortress. Similar to Dark Yellow's voice...

 

  * **I'll admit that this exchange on Dark Yellow's death was a little contrived, but I wanted to be able to address it as well. The original story doesn't mention Light Blue hearing Dark Yellow screaming, but we can presume that it may have happened off-screen. Indeed, Yellow did trap Dark Yellow in the incinerator and burned him. Unexpectedly disturbed by the violence, Yellow changes his mind and actually shuts down the incinerator, but it's too late, as Dark Yellow steps out burned to a crisp and dies.**



 

Dark Yellow looked disturbed. Dark Brown had an amused expression.

Dark Brown: Heh, you take delight in grisly deaths? I'll tell you how the Pik Group died in this world. They were all killed in the blast of the Bomb-Fortress's explosion. All but one, who told us.

Dark Brown, with a sadistic look, pressed some buttons near a screen on the wall. On the screen then appeared a video of Pink... but she had terrible burns all over her body. On the video, the Dark Pikmin surrounded her, beating her with their stems. Light Blue's eyes widened in horror.

Dark Brown: We found this Light Pikmin, badly injured from the blast. We tortured her greatly until we learned from her how she survived and what happened to the rest of the Pik Group.

Pink (on-screen): *struggling to speak* The group had just killed the Snitchbug Search Squad... We were div..divided over what to do. *cough* Orange and Green left to join the Pikavores... to fight... but the rest of us stayed un...der White's leadership, ...who thought we should wait and prepare. *bad cough* But then the explosion happened... m... my best friend... Light Blue... he died for me.

 

  * **This calls back to the events of AoO3 Part 28: One More Casualty. I always thought that was an interesting chapter as it explored an unusual dynamic for the story, and I was interested in further exploring it in this one. One More Casualty is centered around doubt over Orange's direction in leadership, with many at first wanting to follow White's leadership and wait and prepare instead of taking immediate action. Eventually they agreed to follow Orange's direction. However, the Realm of the Annihilated presents a different course of events from AoO3 Part 28, a course in which they sustained their rejection of Orange's leadership.**



 

Light Blue watched and listened, astounded and grief-stricken.

Pink (on-screen): He used his light powers... to... shield me. *cough* He could have saved himself. *cough*

On the screen, tears started to roll down Pink's eyes.

Pink (on-screen): But I watched him be destroyed... all of them. His powers were only enough to sh... *cough*... shield me from death.

Dark Brown (on-screen): So that's why you're so badly warped. The force of the blast still penetrated the light energy well enough to turn you into this disgusting piece of waste, just not enough to kill you completely!

 

  * **So this is why the chapter is titled "A World Warped". It refers to both the historical warping of how this world's events played out from our world's, as well as the physical warping of the people and environment as caused by the explosion, especially in reference to the injuries Pink sustained.**



 

  * **When doing alternate reality scenarios, it's important to carefully think through all of the logical sequence of events and contingencies. I'll admit that as I was doing this commentary, I noticed one inconsistency: the Dark Pikmin are still using the flying vehicle, even though Ruby and Bronze had stolen it to try to reach the Pik Group and defect. We could resolve or rationalize this issue by further extrapolating events that could have occurred to bring the flying vehicle back in the Dark Pikmin's possession. For example, in the original scenario, Ruby and Bronze worried they would be eaten by the Pikavores, and only luckily landed near a tent where the Pik Group heard them. But in the alternate scenario, because the Pik Group was not with Orange, then perhaps he was grouped in a different tent with Pikavores or taking a different course of action during the Pikavore battle. Consequently, Ruby and Bronze may have never found Orange, and later during the battle, the Dark Pikmin's forces may have reclaimed the flying vehicle before the explosion.**



 

Pink, on-screen, struggled to nod, still crying. As Light Blue watched, he too, found himself in tears. Dark Brown then turned off the video.

Dark Brown: We kept her and tortured her for fun for a while, though the burned state she was put in already tortured her well enough! Eventually...

Dark Brown turned on a different video.

Dark Brown: We killed her.

On this next video, Dark Brown repeatedly beat Pink over and over until she was bloody. Light Blue tried to look away, but Dark Brown grabbed his face and forced him to watch. Pink was too badly injured both from the blast and the Dark Pikmin's torture to even be able to yell, barely making a scratchy groaning sound. At last, after taking many violent beatings, Pink's body finally disappeared and her pink spirit floated away. Light Blue was crying even harder.

 

  * **And so it's these traumatic revelations since Part 9 that have gradually changed Light Blue's heart towards Orange. It's the realization that following Orange's leadership prevented the outcome of severe destruction, injury and illness in this land, and especially learning the horrible fate that the parallel version of Light Blue's best friend Pink suffered in a twisted result of the parallel Light Blue trying to save her life. Orange is ultimately vindicated.**



 

Dark Brown: That'll teach you to delight in a Dark Pikmin's death!

Dark Brown laughed. The other three Dark Pikmin were amused. Orange and even Dark Finned were both greatly saddened by what they had seen.

Dark Yellow: We're arriving at the location of the anomaly!

His three partners nodded. Orange felt the flying vehicle land and heard the ramp in another room lowering. Orange had an idea.

Orange: Wait. If the Rift Shard has an electrical signature, you'll want me or Light Blue to test and make sure it's not electrified to a dangerous extent. It'll kill me or him instead of you.

He was doubtful that this was the case, and he knew the Dark Pikmin wouldn't agree to it.

Dark Orange: We'll send Dark Yellow to get it, then. We're not giving you a chance at escape.

Dark Yellow nodded and left the room to retrieve the Rift Shard. This was exactly what Orange was hoping for. After a minute, Dark Yellow reentered the cockpit, holding the Rift Crystal fragment.

Dark Yellow: I've got it! I felt no electrical resistance in my hand, so it should be sa-

Suddenly, Orange spun around and grabbed Dark Yellow from behind. Dark Brown reacted by launching electricity from his jolter device. The electricity simply bounced against Dark Yellow's front, and Orange threw him forward at Dark Brown, causing some electricity to scorch Dark Brown slightly as the two Dark Pikmin collided. The Rift Shard rolled onto the floor.

Dark Orange leaped to attack Orange, but Orange just smacked him in the front with his stem, knocking him to the floor. Light Blue then launched a small burst of light at Dark Green, though due to his current emotional distress, was not able to focus it very powerfully, only knocking Dark Green to the floor. Orange quickly grabbed the Rift Shard as Dark Yellow and Dark Brown clumsily tried to snatch it.

 

  * **Something I generally tried to keep notice of was whether Light Pikmin could use their powers in certain situations. Sometimes their energy is depleted, or sometimes they are not in a position to use it. Contingencies have to be taken into account. If Light Blue had tried to use it sooner, the Dark Pikmin would have blasted him with electricity. It was only after Orange's diversion that Light Blue could use safely attack.**



 

All the while, Dark Finned just stood, dumbfounded and unprepared as to what to do. Orange and Light Blue took off out of the cockpit.

Dark Orange: What are you _doing_? Go get them!!!

Dark Orange stood up and shoved Dark Finned against the side of the door with a clunk.

Dark Finned: Ouch.

She then ran in pursuit of Orange and Light Blue. She ran down the ramp onto a very snowy ground. Large snowy hills surrounded the area they were in. She chased them past a large lump of snowy rock that was taller than them, where they suddenly stopped and both smacked her to the ground with their stems.

Dark Finned: Ow!

Orange: Come on with us.

Light Blue: Orange...

Orange: You see how they treat you! You don't have to go with them.

But Dark Finned just shook her head, with the same look of humiliation and also reluctance, and simply got up, turning, and quietly walked away back towards the Dark Pikmin. Orange shook his head in disappointment. He and Light Blue then continued to run.

Dark Finned arrived back at the ramp, where the other Dark Pikmin were standing. Dark Orange looked at her sternly and angrily.

Dark Orange: You're worthless!

Dark Finned: You could have done more to help! Why weren't you chasing them?

Dark Brown: Shut up!

Dark Brown shoved her to the ground.

Dark Yellow: Well... looks like they got away, again. Dark Pikmin aren't very good at holding captives.

He shrugged. Then he, Dark Orange, and Dark Brown headed up the ramp. Dark Finned down a metal hand near her, which she grabbed onto and was pulled up by.

 

  * **Another writing error spotted: that should be "Dark Finned saw a metal hand down near her."**



 

  * **Dark Green helping up Dark Finned signifies a potential friendship between the two, as both are the punching bags of the Dark Pikmin.**



 

Dark Green: Come on, let's go in. We'll still be able to fly around and track them.

The two entered the flying vehicle as the ramp closed up.

 

Orange and Light Blue kept running through the snow until at last they came to a halt under a small opening within a large, tall rock. They watched for a while to see if the Dark Pikmin were coming, unable to hear over the gusts of wind.

Light Blue: Orange...

His face had turned very despaired.

Light Blue: This realm...

Orange: We'll find a way out soon. We need to try to find another one of those... hospice camps, and try to find out the one we were at. Then we'll find the portal near by.

Light Blue: Orange, this all happened because they followed White instead of Orange... when we were divided after Brown and Light Brown died. This terrible place... full of death, destruction, hopelessness...

Orange: Light Blue...

Light Blue: You saw what they did to this realm's Pink. What happened when this realm's Light Blue tried to save her... If it hadn't been for you, this would have been our reality. I'm sorry, Orange. All of the resentment I've held towards you for the past six years... But you stopped this reality from existing.

Light Blue struggled to hold in tears.

Light Blue: I was just so badly affected when Pink died in our world. I am afraid of losing friends. None of the Light Pikmin, certainly not me, were prepared to face death. But look at how much worse things would be. How much more Pink would have suffered... I'm sorry for what I've held against you all this time... One of my only friends left, even if I could not see it at the time...

Orange was stunned by what he was hearing.

Orange: No, Light Blue, it's fine. You were... right to criticize me, to hold me accountable. It's true... I was not a great leader. In another world, a better leader could have convinced the Dark Pikmin to come to peace with us. And I am sorry... I'm sorry I failed. I remember it every day... I remember those we lost every day. I still hold it against myself for trading places with Yellow at the end. That was my sacrifice to make, not his... And now, look where I've got us. If I just hadn't pushed us to go on this adventure, then the portal would have never opened... none of this would have happened.

Light Blue: The Dark Pikmin were on their way to opening it anyway, Orange. SCU and Shadow Ki-Pr would have tricked them... At least now we're in a position to stop them.

Orange and Light Blue both felt a sense of reconciliation for each other, a sense of friendship they had not felt in six years. Orange knew that Light Blue was now beginning to forgive and let go what he had held against him. And Light Blue knew Orange had held himself accountable for his actions, but actions which he was now starting to appreciate.

 

  * **I don't have much to comment here, I think the writing speaks for itself. This moment brings a conclusion to the Orange-Light Blue relationship arc beginning at the start of this story, their resentment healed.**



 

Orange: Also... when we were on the battlefield, after deactivating the Bomb-Fortress, and I collapsed... and I was in the tent... I saw Red. He told me... it wasn't time yet. And then I woke back up. I guess I was just out of it. Nearly dead, hallucinating. But there was something more... I just can't remember...

Light Blue pondered Orange's experience as the two rested to recover their strength before trying to find their way back to their realm...

 

  * **Orange and Light Blue's reconciliation also opens the doorway for trust again. Orange confides Light Blue with his near-death experience vision of Red. This is the first time Orange has acknowledged this as something more than just a dream, which gets us on the first step into the more spiritual themes of this story that will be relevant in the last act. Though there is still more yet for him to remember.**



 

  * **There's also a kind of structural symmetry here that I liked with Orange's vision of Red. It is first mentioned in Part 1 (the first chapter of the story's first act), though not really fleshed out until Part 9 (the first chapter of the story's second act) and firmly acknowledged at the end of Part 10 (which is really the second half of the second act's first chapter). And of course, it will later be given resolution in Part 18 (the last chapter of the second act), and again in the closing scenes of Part 25 (the last chapter of the last act). Ultimately, issues pertaining to the events surrounding Orange's survival at the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress from the end of AoO3 are always told at the beginnings and ends of acts. I have a minor fascination with structural symmetries like this.**



 

  * **This concludes the bulk of our venture through the Realm of the Annihilated. In summation, I thought it gave a good in-depth look into the nature of alternate realities andthe consequences of failure in AoO3, and served as a major emotional milestone for our central character Orange (as well as Light Blue), among other things.**




	11. The Adventures Without Orange with Commentary

**Part 11: The Adventures Without Orange**

 

In another universe, war raged on for the Dark Pikmin. At their base, they discussed recent events.

 

  * **In the Realm of the Annihilated chapter, I had taken the time to slowly build up to the revelation that it was a reality where the Dark Pikmin ruled. But since I had already done that in that chapter, I decided that for The Adventures Without Orange, I would just dive headfirst in the parallel universe Dark Pikmin's going ons. At this point, the audience would have already been carefully introduced to this concept in the two preceding chapters. So there's no need to introduce it again.**



 

Gold: Reports indicate that we've taken regions L-77, K-75, and N-67. But we've lost G-9, T-12, T-13, and T-17.

He was pointing across a diagram on a map of some area of Pikmin/Pikavore land.

Wine: That's not good! The enemy is starting to gain on us.

The Dark Pikmin pondered.

Wine: If we're not careful, the enemy could soon take our leadership from us.

 

  * **So Realm of the Annihilated featured the sort of "Dark Pik Group Mk. 2" that served as the antagonists in AoO3. But in The Adventures Without Orange, the featured Dark Pikmin are from the original group in AoO1, most of whom were killed off in that story, with the sole exception being Dark Orange.**



 

Navy: The enemy isn't powerful enough to take our land from us! We're the DARK PIKMIN! 

 

  * **Since this chapter is featuring the original AoO1 group, I wanted to recall the feeling of that story. The behavior of the characters could often be frivolous, with a lot of emoticons used. (These emoticons are from IGN Boards, where these stories were originally posted.) So as with Realm of the Annihilated and AoO3, this chapter brought my mindset back to AoO 1 and 2. It's very interesting to me, being able to sort of go back in time in that way and see new things from long gone characters, places, or objects.**



 

Wine: Don't be arrogant! Just because we were victorious in taking over the Pik lands doesn't mean we're unbeatable. Need I remind you that our first attempt to take the World Blaster resulted in our leader being frozen for some time? And then worse, the Light Pikmin buried the ruins in the ground with their light energy.

 

  * **In this line, Wine is recalling the Dark Pikmin backstory from AoO1 Part 10: The Flashback.**



 

Navy: But we got past that! We used the blood of three Neutral Pikmin to dispel the light energy holding it in the ground. We freed Black, we got the World Blaster. And now we've taken over this land!

Wine: We nearly lost the World Blaster when the Light Pikmin attacked!

Navy: They were no match for Black! And now we've taken them all prisoner. There's nowhere Dark Pikmin can go wrong!

 

  * **In these lines, Navy and Wine are revealing to the audience what alternatively happened in this reality. Just as the Realm of the Annihilated presents an outcome where the AoO3 villains won, similarly The Adventures Without Orange presents an outcome where the AoO1 villains won.**



 

Wine: You are so ignorant of history. 

Navy: Well, there's nowhere a group with ME can go wrong!

Wine: There's a reason I'm the 2nd in command and you're not. I'm ??? 1, and you're ??? 3.

 

  * **This refers to the characters' original designations in AoO1 before their identities were revealed. They were often designated with question marks and a number, "??? 1", "??? 2", "??? 3", and so forth. Of course, I'm not sure how that would be pronounced aloud, but I suppose the Pikmin have their own word for it in their own language.**



 

Navy: Whatever...

Gold: That reminds me, our leader has requested an audience with both of you, I received on the computer.

Navy: Really?

Gold: Yeah...

Wine: Well, then let's go see him...

Wine and Navy left the room. Gold went to check on Dark Bulb and Purple.

Gold: Have you replaced the batteries yet?

Dark Bulb: Not yet...

Gold: Why not? If you don't, the light-energy absorber will stop functioning... the Light Pikmin will regain their power, and break out of their cells! Do you want to see that happen?

Dark Bulb: No... but, there's only so much I can do with my jaw. A Pikmin with hands is needed!

Gold: Purple!

Purple: Ergh... what?

Gold: Why aren't you doing it?

Purple: You've got me working on everything all the time... 

Purple's temper started to raise, which Gold noticed.

Gold: Don't lose your temper, Neutral Pikmin, or you'll be punished like last time!

Purple struggled to hold back an angry face.

 

  * **In AoO1, Purple tended to have a short temper, often characterized with angry emoticons. However, since turning to the Dark Pikmin, Purple's temper has been punished and threatened into submission.**



 

Gold: These are the consequences of joining the Dark Pikmin as a non-Dark. You must accept your role as a lowly pawn, or else you will be killed like any non-Dark Pikmin.

Dark Bulb: We'll get those batteries done! Come on, Purple!

Dark Bulb and Purple left the room. Gold then went to check on Dark Purple, Gray, and Dark Orange.

Gold: New mission! Gray, it'll be your time to lead a force and retake L-77.

Gray: But... I'm not leader material! I'm more of a follower!

Gold: It's time you grow up! Wine is growing restless with your slacking off during battles.

Dark Purple: Can I at least go with him and advise him?

Gold: No, Wine wants Gray to lead the troops alone.

Gray looked down in worry.

Dark Orange: Gold... you know as well as the rest of us that he'll get killed!

 

  * **As will be revealed soon, Wine actually has a more sinister motive for sending the inexperienced Gray into battle.**



 

  * **Despite being the central antagonist of AoO3, Dark Orange was a more outlying member of the group in the original story.**  



 

As those four argued, Wine and Navy rode a hover pod up to the World Blaster's platform in the sky. Black observed the surrounding lands below, many devastated by shots from the World Blaster over time. Black then turned to Wine and Navy as they arrived, staring at them with his blood-red eyes. Wine and Navy felt a sense of haunting authority in his presence.

 

  * **Revisiting these characters gave me a chance to also add more descriptions to them than I had given them previously. For example, describing Black as having a presence of "haunting authority".**



 

  * **This moment foreshadows the World Blaster's relevance which will become more important in later chapters. As we will later learn, it was originally called a "Spectralid Saver" by its creators.**



 

Black: Ah, good, you're here now.

Wine: Yes, my leader, what may I do for you?

Black: I am ordering that we retreat some of our forces and regroup them in other, more vital regions.

Black then named the specific forces and regions.

 

  * **The specifics of the strategy is ultimately trivial to the plot, so I didn't bother to mention them.**



 

Wine: But master, I don't think we can afford to let the enemy through those regions. We must keep them held!

Black: No, don't you see, what we need to do to end this war and ensure permanent control over these lands is to find their leader and kill him once and for all.

Wine: Their leader? ...You mean?

Black: Yes. Once the Cloaked Figure is dead, this struggle for control will be over.

 

  * **So this is another change to this reality from ours. Another past villain, the Cloaked Figure, is still at large and in battle with the Dark Pikmin. Hence why this universe will later be dubbed the "Realm of Two Evils", one being the Dark Pikmin and the other being the Cloaked Figure.**



 

Wine: But how can he be found? Is he even killable? We've estimated he's somewhere in an as of yet untenable location for battle.

Black: Then a surprise attack will work! Gather all the Dark Pikmin for the attack and prepare. This will end the war for good, I know it!

Wine: But I've ordered Gray to be sent in a battle...

Black: Why would you do that?

Wine: To toughen him up! 

Black: He is worthless, he will never make it.

Navy: Well, it'd be for the best, if the increasingly growing rumor that he and Gold aren't actually Dark Pikmin turns out true...

This haunted Wine more than anything. After Black had been frozen, Wine had recklessly enlisted Gray into their forces, assuming he was a Dark Pikmin. Only later did he realize that Gray wasn't actually one, and moreover, a weak fighter. If Black learned the truth, Wine feared he would be punished, perhaps even lose his position as 2nd in command. Wine was hoping Gray would be killed in battle.

 

  * **In AoO1 and AoO2, I had begun to retcon the status of some of the Dark Pikmin, specifically by revealing that Gray and Gold were not actually Dark Pikmin. Later in AoO3, in Part 23: The Light/Dark Pikmin Origins, Gold and Gray's mistaken joining of the Dark Pikmin was acknowledged.**



 

  * **In AoO1 Part 2: Into the Forest, the closing moments feature ??? 1 (Wine) admitting that he wanted Gray to be killed. So I decided to give an explanation and motive for that in this moment of AoOX.**



 

Wine: No, that rumor is ridiculous! Of course Gray is a Dark Pikmin! He's White's equivalent! 

Navy: But I thought Black was? 

Wine: No, we were mistaken... 

Black: Yes, it is true. There is no match for me amongst non-Dark Pikmin. I am a uniquely powerful hue of Pikmin, born out of the heart of the Dark Pikmin's darkness... 

Wine nodded. Although he knew this wasn't true, he wanted Black to continue to believe so that Wine's negligence in enlisting Gray would go undiscovered. Fortunately for Wine, when Dark Pikmin were produced from Dark Onions, they would be born with the instinct to leave and journey on in aggression very quickly, forgetting their place of birth, as a technique to keep the Dark Onions protectively concealed.

Wine: Very well, I shall inform the others.

Black: I will speak to Navy alone.

Wine nodded and headed back to his hover pod, descending back down to the Dark Pikmin Base on the earth below.

Black: Navy, as you know, you were born with a slight anomaly in your dark energy.

Navy nodded. Black was born with the purest of dark energy and so had the greatest capacity to use his powers. The other Dark Pikmin appeared to have no capacity for utilizing their inner dark energy, but Black also forbade them from training themselves to see if they could. However, before being frozen, Black had partially made an exception for Navy, who was born slightly differently by chance, and Black had used some of his own dark energy to try to enhance and direct Navy's capacity to utilize his own.

Black: Navy, it has been some time since we trained you, since before I was frozen, unfrozen, our taking over the land, our war with the Cloaked Figure... I am interested once again in experimenting on you.

Navy: Yes, master! 

Navy was excited by this prospect.

Black: Something occurred to me after I was unfrozen. What if I could utilize dark energy to combine other powers? Like ice. And here, we have the freezing defense mechanism which froze me for not entering the password the first time.

Navy: So you want to give me ice powers?

Black: Yes! Now let's train!

Navy: What would I have to do?

Black: Just this...

Black suddenly tossed Navy in front of the pipe-like mechanism beneath the World Blaster's console, pressed a couple of buttons, and ice began to blow out of the pipe against Navy. Navy yelled as he was also blasted by Black's dark energy. After about a minute, the freezing process stopped. Navy's body was now ice-crested. He was also emotionally shaken from the sudden and extreme experience.

Black: Good... good... You shall be called Ice Navy henceforth. You are reborn, a warrior of the ice! .... Well, test your power, fool.

Ice Navy: Alright...

Navy blasted a chunk of ice from his hand through the air.

Black: Ahahahaha! Excellent! Your body and dark energy have successfully been mutated by the cold energy blasted at you.

 

  * **So this scene was meant to explain Navy's arc in AoO1, in which he is beaten badly and left in ice, and somehow develops ice powers. Since a different scenario of events plays out in this realm, Navy only develops ice powers until now. (Also, I thought it was interesting how I could weave minor details together, like the World Blaster's freezing function with the story on Navy's ice powers.)**



 

Ice Navy: Nice...

Black: Now, go, I have stuff to watch up here.

Ice Navy: Thank you for this privilege, master.

Black: Yes, yes, that went without saying, now get out of here!

Ice Navy rode a hover pod back down.

 

**MEANWHILE**

 

The Cloaked Figure stood in his outdoors hideout in the forest. Surrounding the area were many kinds of Pikavores, both familiar and new, though all somewhat warped in their appearance. Something about their presence seemed dark and evil.

The Cloaked Figure was joined by his Minion. The former was tall, wearing a black cloak and hood, and with metal gloves. The latter was more short and stout, wearing metal armor which covered his entire body. He explained the latest events in the war to his master.

Cloaked Figure: Excellent. We're gaining on them!

Minion: Soon, we will have taken over these lands!

Cloaked Figure: Yes. I did not release this army of darkness to have them serve another overlord. I will rule this world WITH AN IRON FIST!

He raised his fist up as he yelled, startling the Minion.

 

  * **So this scene properly reintroduces the Cloaked Figure, the villain of AoO2, as well as his henchman. This portrays a scenario where the villain wins AoO2. The Cloaked Figure successfully brings his new army of darkness out of the World of Chaos and begins his conquest of our world with it.**



 

  * **So, overall, the Realm of the Annihilated is a world where the AoO3 villains win. On the other hand, the Realm of Two Evils is a world where both the villains of AoO1 and AoO2 win, and consequently are in conflict with each other. So in one reality, one outcome is explored. But in this reality, two outcomes are explored, and moreover, these two outcomes clash with each other, which I thought would make an interesting twist to keep the concept of this universe fundamentally unique from the previous one.**



 

Cloaked Figure: Also, what is the status of the World Blaster?

Minion: Still in the same location. It doesn't appear strategically tenable that the Dark Pikmin will move it anytime soon, so we should be safe for now.

Cloaked Figure: Good. We need to figure out a means to destroy it, as it limits our mobility in this war.

Minion: It is still largely a mystery in the history books. It originated from the Ruins of Noitanimod Dlrow, and not much more is known than that.

Cloaked Figure: That is not even the ruins' true name. It's "World Domination" backwards. The historians were probably just lazy in naming it.

 

  * **This is a refers back to a minor detail mentioned in AoO1. I had named the ruins which holds the World Blaster this name, and it was really just "World Domination" backwards, as the Cloaked Figure points out.**



 

Minion: Mm.

Cloaked Figure: I'm still looking into a potential connection it may have with Gray Spectralid history.

 

  * **The Cloaked Figure's intuition on this matter is correct, for the World Blaster was indeed created by the Gray Spectralids, as will later be confirmed.**



 

The Minion nodded.

Minion: We've also managed to complete our identification of the members of the Dark Pik Group.

Cloaked Figure: Good, tell me.

The Minion pulled up a chart.

Minion: On the left, their code name, on the right, their real name.

??? 1: Wine  
??? 2: Gold  
??? 3: Navy  
??? 4: Dark Purple  
??? 5: Gray  
??? 6: Dark Bulb  
??? 7: Dark Orange  
Dark Figure: Black

 

  * **This is how each of the Dark Pikmin were originally designated at the end of each chapter in AoO1.**



 

Cloaked Figure: Interesting, Gray is not a Dark Pikmin.

Minion: He's not?

Cloaked Figure: No, grays are Neutral Pikmin. But they are uncommon to discover, as most of the known Gray Candypop Buds were turned White by a natural accident some long time ago.

Minion: Then what is he doing in the group?

Cloaked Figure: The Dark Pikmin are both foolish and clumsy. They are disorganized, and that is a big point in why I shall win this war. I suspect Gold is not a Dark Pikmin, either, as his composition is more similar to Silver's.

Silver walked up.

Silver: You rang?

Cloaked Figure: No.

Silver: Ah.

Cloaked Figure: I think Gold, a Dark Pikmin, is a Litral. Like Silver. Minion, show the Hybrid Chart.

Minion: Yes, sir.

Minion grabbed a chart.

Minion: We have been analyzing the color patterns of Pikmin, Silver. Using some of your DNA, as well as various Neutral Pikmin's, Dark Green's, and DNA from those two Light Pikmin...

Brown: What Light Pikmin?

Brown was also near by amidst the conversation.

Cloaked Figure: Light Green and Light Brown, who tried to stop me right after we unleashed my army upon this world...

Minion: Yes, well, we analyzed all of this, and I think I have figured out the proper alignments...

The Minion showed the chart.

RED: Ruby / Beryl  
ORANGE: Garnet / Carnelian  
YELLOW: Gold / Citrine  
GREEN: Emerald / Jade  
BLUE: Sapphire / Sodalite  
PURPLE: Amethyst / Tanzanite  
BROWN: Bronze / Copper  
BULBMIN: Crystal / Diamond  
WHITE: Silver / Platinum

 

  * **On the left are Litrals, and on the right are Dartrals. Most of the Dartrals (Beryl, Carnelian, Citrine, Sodalite, Tanzanite, Diamond Bulb, and Platinum) were not introduced in AoO3, although I had already written a chart for them before beginning AoO3, and later included this chart in one of the early chapters of AoO3. My intention was to later introduce them as characters in the Untold Stories trilogy. After cancelling that trilogy, and beginning work on AoOX, I decided I would mostly exclude the chaotic hybrid subplot from the new story, so they never appear in AoOX either.**



 

Silver: Yes. There are two ways to create a hybrid. One, you can force the neutral energy out of a Neutral Pikmin onto a Light Pikmin. This will cause an energy collision and reaction with the Light Pikmin's inner energy and biology, producing a Litral hybrid Pikmin. This is how I was created...

Brown: Neutral Pikmin have powers?

Silver: Yes, but they are hard to tap into without assistance. The Dark Pikmin must have equipped Gray with some kind of device to use his energy on a White Pikmin to produce me.

Brown: Well, what was the second way to produce them?

Silver: The second way is an alternate method of causing the same kind of energy reaction, by having both a Neutral and a Light be blasted with the same energy to temporarily serve as a bridge between their two energies. For example, if a fire flowed between a Red and a Pink, then that would produce a Ruby. Or if a blast of water bubbles flowed between a Blue and Light Blue, that would produce a Sapphire.

Minion: Also, if you have a Dark Pikmin instead of a Light, then it produces a Dartral Hybrid...

Silver: Yeah, Minion, I think that was obvious enough without you having to spell it out for us.

 

  * **This scene overall recalls the Litral and Dartral hybrid Pikmin, who marked a major subplot in both AoO2 and AoO3.**



 

**MEANWHILE**

 

The Pik Clones journeyed through the forest in search of the Rift Shard. Many of them had been killed in the battle atop Spire Fortress, either against the Pik Group or against the Shadow Race. The group that had embarked into the Misty Bog was 40, but at this point it had been reduced to about 10. Amongst them was Green, being held as their prisoner.

 

  * **So this chapter finally brings us to our protagonists again. For the Realm of Two Evils, I decided to make Green the hero, and featuring the Pik Clones. I thought Green and Commander Alpha would make a good pairing, as they are both green, both warriors, and both immensely loyal to their leaders. The lattermost of which will probably be the most important connection between the two.**



 

At one point, Light Green initiated an interdimensional meeting.

Light Green: Just checking for updates. Any shards found yet? Any Shadow Race entities encountered?

Green and the others shook their heads to both questions.

Light Green: That's good about the latter, at least. Shadow Ki-Pr spoke of a strategy. You may not encounter the Shadow Race for some time.

Orange appeared to be sleepy, with his eyes half-closed and his head leaning to the side.

Light Green: I apologize, Orange, did I wake you?

Orange: It's no problem... We're up in a tree. Light Blue and Dark Finned are asleep.

Green: Is it dark there, still?

Orange: Yeah.

Green: It's daylight here.

Light Green: It's daylight here as well.

White: And here. And on that note, the universe I'm in is actually in the year GGEEEECAAA.

Light Green: Two centuries in the future? It seems that we didn't all land at the same point in time for each universe. Well, keep looking. My universe seems to be in a "World of Paradise" where the Gray Spectralids are still alive. I'll try to find out more information.

 

  * **This is the first time we see this conversation. It was slightly referenced in a sentence near the beginning of Part 9, but we don't properly see it until now. It's set before Orange wakes up in the beginning of Part 9, hence why he was interrupted by his sleep in the above scene.**



 

  * **As is the case with the other interdimensional conversation, this is copied and pasted into more than one chapter. I'll admit that it seems a bit awkwardly shoehorned in, as I hadn't actually written either scene until Parts 14 and 15, and later added them into the earlier chapters before posting them.**



 

The others nodded, and Light Green ended the communication. The Pik Clones had taken noticed, but had not said anything about it. About another hour passed before Commander Alpha broken the silence.

Commander Alpha: I have to say, Green, that your leader Orange doesn't give much care to his friends and allies. He abandoned you with us to die at the hands of the Shadow Race. We barely made it through.

Green: It is what needed to be done, or else he and Light Blue may not have made it through.

Green himself had encouraged Orange's decision, and did not think much on what Commander Alpha was saying, knowing he was just trying to spread discord in the Pik Group. As he was thinking on this, a very coincidental encounter occurred.

Red: Who are you?

Red and his four companions had all jumped up, startled. Green and the Pik Clones had stumbled upon them.

Commander Alpha: I recognize... that's White of the Pik Group! And are those... Yellow, Blue, the Bulbmin of the Pik Group as well?

Green: Yes, it's this universe's version of them. And our old leader, Red, too.

Red: Whose side are you on?

Green: Side?

Yellow: Duhh... What are those weird things?

 

  * **This reintroduces us to the old Pik Group as it was in AoO1.**



 

Yellow had noticed the devices on the Pik Clones' heads.

Blue: I've got a bad feeling about this.

 

  * **In AoO1, Yellow had a tendency to act stupid, saying "duhh..." in a lot of his statements, at first. Later, it's suggested he was only playing stupid. Blue, I saw as maybe more sour or pessimistic in his demeanor. Bulb was cursed to say nothing but "Okay?"**



 

  * **"I've got a bad feeling about this" is, of course, an iconic Star Wars quote, thrown in here as an homage. AoO1 had a tendency to make Star Wars references.**



 

Green: I am Green, and these are the Pik Clones. We mean you no harm. We are on no one's side. We are not from this realm.

White: What do you mean by realm?

Green: I mean universe.

Commander Alpha: Hmm... Red, you are the leader here, yes?

Red: Yes, along with White.

The Pik Group looked cautious and alert still.

Green: Is there an Orange Pikmin amongst your companions?

Red: Orange? 

Blue: A... what? 

Green and the Pik Clones looked surprised.

Green: Tell me... did your group depart for an island some time ago on a vacation?

Red: ...How do you know us?

Green: We have met your doubles from our universe.

The Pik Group looked suspicious of Green and the Pik Clones' intentions.

Red: You could be spies looking to report us to one of the factions.

Green: We are not spies, I can assure you.

Blue: You can't assure us anything!

Green: Commander Alpha, I think if we explain our side of the story, it will garner some trust.

Commander Alpha: I agree.

And so Green and Commander Alpha spent some time explaining to the Pik Group about their universe and the journey to and through Spire Fortress.

Green: ...And so now we are looking for the missing shard that landed in this realm.

Red: I see...

Red closed his eyes for a moment, debating as to whether to divulge any information, and then at last decided to.

Red: Yes, as you guessed earlier, we went for a vacation on an island. The first night, we elected me and White as the leaders. Purple got angry and betrayed us. We were captured by the Dark Pikmin with his help.

 

  * **In this scenario, Orange was absent from the group. In our universe, Orange's vote ensured Red as the leader, with White being the "Vice Leader" with the 2nd most votes. However, in this universe, without Orange, the votes for Red and White tie, so they are both equal leaders here. Purple getting angry and betraying the group recalls back to his rage at only getting 1 vote (his own).**



 

Green: But you weren't rescued by Orange?

Green recalled the events of the Pik Group's first adventure. Although he had not been a member of the group during that adventure, they had shared the story with him some time after he joined. Orange had journeyed across the island to different locations to rescue each of the kidnapped Pik Group members, killing most of the Dark Pikmin as he did so.

Red: The Dark Pikmin needed the blood of three of us to undo Light Pikmin's energy holding down a ruins in the ground. They kept us separated in different, secure locations to evaluate each of us individually, to brainwash us, and to keep us from trying to band together to escape. Once they had completed these tasks, they gathered us back together and sacrificed some of our blood to raise the ruins...

 

  * **Revisiting old storylines in these alternate realities often gave me a chance to explain or fill in plot holes from the earlier stories. AoO1 never had a justification for why the Dark Pikmin separated the Pikmin to different locations, so I devised one here. All in all, I think AoOX did a lot to strengthen the integrity of the series.**



 

Red pointed to scars on his, Yellow's, and Blue's bodies.

Red: No Orange Pikmin came to rescue us.

Green nodded.

Green: I see... so the Dark Pikmin succeeded in unleashing the World Blaster upon the world?

Red nodded with a look of haunting reminiscence, a look which the other Pik Group members shared.

Red: They threatened the world of Pikmin and Pikavores, holding it hostage, destroying many lands and killing much life to scare them into "order". Now, they have many Pikmin and Pikavores under their command. The Light Pikmin tried to stop them, but they were beaten, and they too, were captured.

Green: But how did you escape?

White: They didn't hold us for long... Another villain, the Cloaked Figure, sent his Minion to take us from the Dark Pikmin's Base early on before it got too heavily guarded. They stole my immunity to poison, along with Red, Yellow, and Blue's immunities to fire, electricity, and water.

Green recalled this as the Pik Group's second adventure, and his first experience with them.

Green: Did he succeed in getting the keys to the World of Chaos?

White nodded with a look of dreaded reminiscence. Green recalled this adventure as the Cloaked Figure needed immunities to pass through the security in the World of Chaos's fortress so that he could unleash the horrors sealed within.

Green: And then he unleashed an army of dark creatures onto the world.

The Pik Group all nodded.

Red: The Cloaked Figure escaped in time before Dark Pikmin forces attacked his castle. I think he meant to kill us, but he was in too much of a hurry, and sent all of his machine weapons and Pikavores out to fight the Dark Pikmin. We were so weak after the immunity transfer, but with Bulb's help, we were able to get some direction to barely hide from the Dark Pikmin and escape.

They all looked to Bulb.

Bulb: Okay?

Red: Unfortunately, in our state, we were not much use. Having been hypnotized for some time by the Dark Pikmin, and then weakened by the Cloaked Figure's machine. It took us some time to fully recover and wake up to the horrors going on in the world. We were too late to stop the world from falling into war.

White: Thankfully, we haven't yet been caught by either of the factions... But the Pik World is a terrible place now. The War Between Two Evils, it's called.

Yellow: Duh huh... the Cloaked Figure is trying to use his army to usurp the world from the Dark Pikmin.

Green: So, before you took off on these adventures, you never met an Orange Pikmin? Right before, no amnesiac Orange came running out of the forest?

 

  * **So in this reality, the Pik Group went to the island without having ever met Orange, hence the titled of the chapter, "The Adventures Without Orange", a kind of foil to the series' title of The Adventure of Orange, telling us the adventures as they would have happened without Orange's presence. However, why Orange is absent in the Realm of Two Evils is not something I really sought to explain. For whatever reason, the sequence of events in this universe did not lead his path to them.**



 

  * **This also presents an alternate reason for why this reality is different compared to the Realm of the Annihilated. In that realm, everything happened the same up until the end, when the group abandoned Orange. But in the Realm of Two Evils, Orange was never even around in the first place. So the differences in the Realm of Two Evil's history are far more dramatic than the differences in the Realm of the Annihilated's history. In any case, it continues a theme of validating Orange's leadership, given the consequential evils that have befallen these two realms without his influence.**



 

Yellow: Duhhh... nope. The only one with amnesia was me, coming back from the floating isle of the Bulborb warlocks and witches... the SpellCaster Bulborbs.

 

  * **I'll admit, it could be argued that this chapter is too driven by exposition, essentially reminding us of the same events that the audience already knows at this point. However, I think all the exposition, with groups describing the same events each from their own perspective, gives me an opportunity to portray all of the characters again. And revisiting old characters was one of my main points of interest with this chapter.**



 

Blue: Please, stop with the "duh huhs". It's okay to do inside jokes when it's just us, but please, not around strangers! 

Yellow: Yeah, sorry. I'm just sort of used to it. I started doing it as a joke after I got amnesia, pretending I'm stupid.

Commander Alpha: I... do not care.

Blue: Well, no need to be rude!

Green: Don't mind the Pik Clones, social skills aren't their best attribute.

Red turned to the others.

Red: Should we tell them?

Yellow: Might as well.

Blue: I'm not so sure.

White: Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Red? A bargaining chip?

Red: Yeah.

Bulb: Okay?

Red took out an object... it was none other than the Rift Shard.

Red: Help us stop the factions... Help us, and we will give this to you.

Green: It is not our place to interfere in the affairs of your world. We have our own world to deal with.

Red: Then... we will turn ourselves over to the Dark Pikmin. You will have to defeat them to get it back! We will force you to help us! Everyone, run!

Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Bulb made a run for it.

Commander Alpha: Oh, how foolish! We were going to join up with the Dark Pikmin here anyway. They're just handing it over to us.

Green: Alpha, don't misplace your loyalty. I understand. You are a clone of me, after all. I think something of being a loyal soldier to our trusted leaders is in the Green Pikmin's genes. But understand that these are not the Dark Pikmin of your world. You don't owe them your allegiance, and I don't think they will respect you as their best army as the Dark Pikmin of our world do. Your actual leaders.

 

  * **This diverges from my original outline for this chapter. My original idea was that Green would have tricked the Pik Clones into thinking that the Dark Pikmin forces of this universe were an anti-Dark Pikmin group, in order to gain their assistance in the venture here. They would have eventually realized Green's deception, but realized their true loyalties lay with the Main Realm's Dark Pikmin anyway. However, as I started to specifically develop the exact organization of details for this chapter, I decided it was more logistically convenient to have the Pik Clones present as the Pik Group explained the Dark Pikmin's rule of the world, and I decided that the Pik Clones' concept of loyalty would instead be challenged by Dark Green's unexpected loyalty to the Cloaked Figure rather than from being deceived into fighting the Dark Pikmin by Green. Additionally, I found it more convenient to only have Green be apart of a smaller group of the Cloaked Figure's minions rather than with the larger Pik Clone group.**



 

Commander Alpha: It is not for us Pik Clones to decide how the Dark Pikmin choose to regard us. It is only our place to serve, even to our deaths.

Green: You only serve the Dark Pikmin of your world - our world! It is not our places to interfere with the Pikmin of this world. We must retrieve the Rift Shard back from the Pik Group and then leave them to their conflict.

Commander Alpha: That is such a Light or Neutral Pikmin philosophy. The Dark Pikmin conquer all, no matter where they are!

 

  * **So the alternate reality scenario once again gives us a chance to look into some philosophical questions. Commander Alpha chooses to see the Dark Pikmin of this realm as holding an equal identity to the Dark Pikmin of his own realm. On the other hand, Green differentiates the two realms strongly, to the point in which he sees it as unethical to interfere in their world, even to their own benefit.**



 

As the two argued, they and the rest of the Pik Clones were suddenly surrounded by warped Pikavore troops - the Cloaked Figure's.

Dark Green: Well, what is this? A secret band of troops from the Dark Pikmin?

The Cloaked Figure's forces were led by Dark Green, still with his naturally-born arm, his original darker sword, and riding on the dark-looking Pikhorse Yarly.

 

  * **This recalls Dark Green as we knew him in AoO2, a more self-confident warrior who hadn't suffered loss and indignation, as Light Green cut off his arm, destroyed his sword, and frightened his Pikhorse away. In AoO2, Dark Orange and Dark Green had joined the Cloaked Figure as new minions. However, in the Realm of Two Evils, Dark Orange is still with the main Dark Pik Group and hasn't found Dark Green, so Dark Green eventually found the Cloaked Figure on his own.**



 

Commander Alpha: A Dark Pikmin!

Commander Alpha bows before Dark Green.

 

  * **A problem I had across all the stories was a tendency to forget to use past tense terms rather than present tense. You will notice that Commander Alpha "bows" when it should be "bowed".**



 

Green: ...Alpha, you are clueless.

 

Dark Green and his troops took Green and the Pik Clones through the forest for some time, until at last they arrived at the Cloaked Figure's hideout.

Dark Green: For you, Master. Something unique we discovered in the forest.

Commander Alpha: ...Master?

 

  * **This gives Commander Alpha his first shock to his worldview, as he sees that Dark Pikmin are not inherently loyal, not even of the green variety as Green and himself are.**



 

The Cloaked Figure came over to them. Dark Green, who had taken Green's sword, gave it to the Cloaked Figure.

Cloaked Figure: Interesting! A swordsman. I can respect such a warrior. And just what is this group?

 

  * **The Cloaked Figure wields swords himself, hence his respect for the swordsman.**



 

Green had an idea.

Green: We are from another universe! And we have come seeking something.

Minion: From another universe? That is preposterous!

Green: And yet, did your Master not travel between realms to the World of Chaos to get this army?

Cloaked Figure: ...How do you know this?

Green: Because I knew the Cloaked Figure from my world. But he did not succeed. He was defeated.

Cloaked Figure: And what have you come to this world seeking?

And so Green explained to the Cloaked Figure the same story he had just told the Pik Group shortly ago, while Commander Alpha and the other Pik Clones were bewildered by the fact that Dark Green was working for him rather than for the Dark Pikmin.

Cloaked Figure: So you were seeking to stop your world's Dark Pikmin from obtaining the Rift Crystal... Now you seek to reassemble it.

Green: Yes... _You_ could use it.

 

  * **Green's plan now is to appeal to the Cloaked Figure's desire for power, hoping this will grant Green an opportunity to escape captivity and retake the shard himself.**



 

Cloaked Figure: That is very interesting, indeed. I could gain the power of traveling through dimensions to conquer universes!

The Cloaked Figure pondered things.

Cloaked Figure: You seem to have some knowledge of the World of Chaos, suggesting your claim to know me from another reality is true. Dark Green, what does your intuitive sense tell you?

Dark Green: I believe this Green Pikmin is telling the truth.

 

  * **Dark Green's intuition is not refined enough to sense that Green is only telling the truth to play a more deceptive tactic against the Cloaked Figure. Some of the hardest deceptions to discern are ones heavily mixed or disguised with truth.**



 

After giving it some thought, the Cloaked Figure finally made his decision. He first turned to the very small army of Pik Clones.

Cloaked Figure: Will you enlist in my forces, Pik Clones?

Commander Alpha: We will never align with you, scum!

Cloaked Figure: Then... Dark Green, take them to the detention zone.

Dark Green: Yes, Master.

So Dark Green and some of the warped Pikavores led the band of Pik Clones away.

Cloaked Figure: And what say you, Green Pikmin? Will you join with me?

Green: Yes, I will.

Cloaked Figure: Good...

 

  * **This exchange is a subtle callback to a similar one from the closing moment of AoO2 Part 6: New Minions. The Cloaked Figure asked Dark Orange and Dark Green if they would like to join them. When Dark Orange replied with the affirmative, the Cloaked Figure said "Good..." then as well. I liked including it, evoke a subtle feeling of AoO2 in my mind. Another callback to that moment will occur later in Part 19 of this story, and I will say more about it then.**



 

  * **Thus concluding Part 11. Originally, Part 11 and Part 12 were written as a single, unending chapter, "The Adventures Without Orange". As with the Realm of the Annihilated, the chapter got so long that I chose to split it so as to not exceed my preferred 20-page limit. I believe The Adventures Without Orange was so long that even both halves were really pushing it close, and may have slightly exceeded the limit, though I forget. So the next chapter continues and concludes the story of the Realm of Two Evils.**



 

  * **On that note, each of the four chapters focusing on a different universe was originally written as one chapter. I had finished each of the four before retroactively editing them and splitting them. So as Part 9 was split into Parts 9 and 10, Parts 11 and 12 were originally written as Part 10.**




	12. The Adventure of Green with Commentary

**Part 12: The Adventure of Green**

 

  * **This title is another play on "The Adventure of Orange". It's also a subtle reference to my original intended title for The Adventure of Orange 2, which I had initially intended to revolve around Green, before eventually deciding to make Orange the lead character once again.**



 

  * **This chapter marks the second half of what was originally "Part 10: The Adventures Without Orange" before these chapters were split up.**



 

Dark Green, some of the warped Pikavores, and the Pik Clones arrived at the Cloaked Figure's forces' detention zone in the forest. The Pik Clones were moved into a large cage. Commander Alpha was both disgusted and confused.

Commander Alpha: Dark Green, you would betray your own people? No loyalty to them? How are we Pik Clones to be loyal both to the Dark Pikmin group and also a lone Dark Pikmin working for an enemy force?

Dark Green: My path never crossed with the other Dark Pikmin, so they mean nothing to me. I am on my own, and work as a bounty hunter for those who will pay the best rewards. The Cloaked Figure will grant the best, especially after he has successfully defeated the Dark Pikmin fools and taken over the world.

Commander Alpha and the other Pik Clones were astounded by what they were hearing from Dark Green.

 

  * **This marks the beginning of the Pik Clones being forced to question the meaning of their loyalty to the Dark Pikmin.**



 

Back with the Cloaked Figure, he continued to talk with Green.

Cloaked Figure: If the information you have given proves to be fruitful, you will be rewarded greatly. If you continue to show me loyalty, your ranking amongst my forces will increase.

Green nodded.

Cloaked Figure: I will send you in a team to retrieve the Rift Shard from the Pik Group, who have since been captured by the Dark Pikmin. Because of their importance, they will likely be taken straight to the Dark Pikmin's main base. A small team of my best warriors will be sufficient to retrieve the shard.

Green: And what will you be doing, Master?

Cloaked Figure: I will be seeking out the portal to your world.

Silver: But can we be sure the Shadow Race will really align with you? What if they try to kill our forces?

Cloaked Figure: Silver, we are already in command of members of the Shadow Race!

This revelation took Green by surprise.

Green: What do you mean?

Cloaked Figure: Long ago, survivors from a decimated world crossed between dimensions. They had devised a very specific portal to be opened in a very specific and spatially sensitive location. The essences keeping this portal open were then moved into three orbs -- three keys. Once these keys were separated, they no longer held the portal open. The survivors had entered our world to find resources to rebuild theirs, but they never finished their mission before they died out. Legends were written about what they did in books. But I realized through investigation that the evidence pointed to these legends being true, and so I sought out the keys and opened the portal.

Green: The portal to the World of Chaos.

 

  * **This gave me an opportunity to address another plot hole from the original stories, this time from The Adventure of Orange 2. It explains the origins of the keys and the portal to the World of Chaos, and how this relates to what AoOX reveals about dimensional travel.**



 

Cloaked Figure: Yes. Once a normal world, not unlike ours, the Shadow Race entered into it and plunged it into chaos, and hence how it got the name. They possessed many Pikavores and other creatures there. But the survivors developed an energy to influence the race under their control. The survivors were of a race that tried to maintain their high morals... So instead of killing the Shadow Race, they sealed them in their fortress and put them in a deep slumber. Then they departed for this world. And one day, I awoke and freed the Shadow Race and took the power to influence them. And now they stand all around us.

Green turned and looked around at the surrounding creatures. All Shadow Race... this is what the Cloaked Figure had wanted to unleash upon the world. Green was now wondering if he should not have told the Cloaked Figure about how he entered this world. What if the Cloaked Figure joined forces with the Shadow Race and even took control of them? Green would have to come up with a plan later. For now, he needed to get the Rift Shard.

 

  * **This also effectively ties in the plot of The Adventure of Orange 2 directly into the events of The Adventure of Orange X. I think this is significant, as AoO2 was always something of the "black sheep" of the old trilogy, with its focus on the Cloaked Figure's plot, it seemed disconnected from the Dark Pikmin drama that otherwise characterized the trilogy. So here we find out that the dark race that the Cloaked Figure intended to unleash in AoO2 is in fact a group from the Shadow Race.**



 

  * **I had originally described the bodied Shadow Race in AoO2 as having warped physical characteristics. However, in AoOX, I decided that a creature whose body is possessed by a Shadow entity would look the same and could impersonate the creature it possessed. So there's a bit of a discrepancy here between AoO2 Shadow Race and AoOX Shadow Race. We could explain this as being a consequence of the energy and mechanisms the natives used to seal the Shadow Race into a slumber.**



 

  * **The fact that the Shadow Race took the forms of familiar Pikavores, despite being from another dimension, is also now explained by AoOX's logic for alternate dimensions. Many of the universes are remarkably similar with slight variations.**



 

  * **The native race who fought the Shadow Race, as told by the Cloaked Figure here, is in fact the Gray Spectralids, although this detail is not unraveled for a couple of more chapters. I liked giving different related pieces of information at different points, like the pieces of a puzzle.**



 

Green's adventure began, as he was sent off in a team also consisting of the Minion, Silver, Brown, and Dark Green who was riding Yarly. He had also been given back his sword. They journeyed through forests for some time. Green was wary of Dark Green's intuitive senses and wondered if he knew that Green was not planning to stay with the Cloaked Figure.

Green: So, Dark Green, how did you come to be in the Cloaked Figure's forces?

Dark Green: I was on my own for some time. I had come into possession of a rare creature, a Pikhorse, and also a sword, which I trained myself to use. It seemed to come naturally.

Green nodded in understanding. An affinity for such form of combat seemed to be in the genes of Green Pikmin.

Dark Green: I tried to channel some of my own dark energy into the sword and Yarly, but it wasn't much use. I didn't seem to have much in me, and couldn't figure out what to do. But I instead decided to put the skills I did have to use and became a bounty hunter. When the War Between Two Evils began, I considered between joining the Dark Pikmin and the Cloaked Figure. I chose the latter, as he seemed to have interest in manipulating dark powers. I hoped to be rewarded with some for use in managing a territory in the Cloaked Figure's world.

Green nodded. It seemed in this world, since the Dark Pikmin had never been killed, Dark Orange never ran off into hiding and stumbled upon him accidentally. So Dark Green's path never crossed with the other Dark Pikmin. It also seemed to Green that Dark Green had not yet sensed that Green was not truly loyal to the Cloaked Figure. He must have been too preoccupied with other thoughts.

 

  * **I found the idea of teaming up Green with a band of villains interesting. It also gave an opportunity to flesh out some of their characteristics more which weren't addressed in the original stories.**



 

Eventually, the team emerged from the forest. Up above, Green could see the World Blaster platform in the sky.

Minion: We have entered into Dark Pikmin territory. We must be cautious.

The group carried on through. After a while, Green was contacted again by Light Green. He kept his distance during this time so that the others wouldn't notice.

Light Green: How are things?

White: We've gotten our Rift Shard.

Green: I've located the Rift Shard here and am on my way to recovering it.

Orange: We still haven't found ours yet, but we're looking.

Light Green: I think I may know where ours is. We also had a bit of a situation. Shadow Ki-Pr got away, but we have three new companions as well. I don't have much rift energy left to explain too much. What do you know about your worlds?

White: Just what I told you earlier. It's some future generation. Orange is considered a legend here!

Green: Here, it appears that Orange never even existed. There is a war here they're calling the War Between Two Evils.

Orange: In our realm, the Dark Pikmin succeeded in blowing up the Bomb-Fortress.

Light Green: Interesting.

Light Green, taking in all of this information, quickly made a chart out of little waves of light energy to show the others.

 

World A / Green World / Main Realm: N/A / Shard Active  
World B / Red World / Realm of the Annihilated: Orange, Light Blue, Dark Finned / Shard Not Found  
World C / Black World / Realm of Two Evils: Green, Pik Clones / Shard Located  
World D / Brown World / Realm of Legends: White, Dark Winged / Shard Collected  
World E / Gray World / World of Paradise: Light Green, Rock, Winged, Finned, Dark Rock / Shard Probably Located

 

Light Green: Just to help us distinguish.

White: Light Green, try using your light energy to manipulate Dark Rock's dark energy. Dark Winged and I tried something similar to find our shard, and it worked.

Light Green: I will keep that in mind.

The Rift Crystal energy started to fade, and the Pik Group started to flicker away.

Light Green: I'm running out of energy!

And after a moment, the Pik Group's images vanished. Green then picked up the pace, getting closer to his temporary allies again.

 

  * **So now we've seen the second interdimensional briefing from Green's point of view.**



 

Eventually, they started sneaking through some rocky terrain, and occasionally passing by groups of Dark Pikmin forces. Many Pikmin and Pikavores had been scared into swearing allegiance to the Dark Pikmin by the threat of the World Blaster. At one point, the team also witnessed the World Blaster firing a shot towards some distant land below, causing a fire to blaze upwards, followed by smoke. It was a haunting sight.

Minion: We are fortunate to be beyond the World Blaster's range at the present moment. But when the Dark Pikmin inevitably move it, we will need to move to a new hideout. We are in danger as it is. I wouldn't put it past the clumsy Dark Pikmin to sacrifice some of their own forces to blast a shot at this region if they learned of our stealth mission.

Green: Where does... Master... originate from, just out of curiosity?

Minion: He and I both came from the water-like country of Aquosia.

Green: Water-like?

Minion: Well, underwater.

Green: Why did he need to steal Blue's immunity to water, then?

Minion: Well, we were banished for trying to take over the kingdom, and a machine was used to take our own immunity to water to ensure we could never return. Our kind is a distant relative of the Waterwraith. Master was intrigued by the theory that Waterwraiths are crossed between dimensions, and wanted to know how he could gain such power for himself. That eventually led to him reading about the legend of the World of Chaos.

Green nodded. He himself had lived with and had been trained by a Waterwraith named Wilth, though Green never learned anything on the secrets of his species.

Green: What do other Aquosians think of his on-going conquest of the world?

Minion: They most likely don't know or care about what goes on above the surface of water. Foolish, for one day, Master will take over their kingdom as well. They are a very proud race. Arrogant, even. They place so much importance on how well they fulfill their medieval traditions, which is quite easy to do, in fact. Master and I sought higher.

Green: You call him "Master" all the time.

Minion: No other name for him shall be acceptable.

Green: Did you not once know him by another name?

Minion: Before I pledged to serve him in the conquest of the world, I worked as an assistant to him in his research on legends and mystics. In those days, I was known as Styathx, and he was known as Enkhxon. But we now go by the names of our proper places in this world. He is the Master, soon over this entire earth. And I am his servant. His minion.

 

  * **A couple of these details, including their real names and origin kingdom, had actually been divulged in the late chapters of AoO3 in flashbacks. Other details were intended to be revealed in the Untold Story of AoO4, in which two chapters would have featured the heroes scuba diving into the Cloaked Figure's home kingdom.**



 

Green nodded. The group of five carried onward. After a while, the sun began to set.

Minion: Brown, when we get there, you will need to put your ability to use. Make something out of all the training we have given you.

Brown: Yeah, alright, I will.

Green remembered Brown's ability. Brown had the ability to release an explosive blast of energy from within himself. Green had some difficulty disassociating this Brown from the Pikmin he once knew. He had long wished to see Brown again, though he knew this was another world's and not the same one he knew.

Green: In my world, there was a version of you. I used to know him.

Brown: Oh, you did?

Green: Yes. He sacrificed himself to save my life. I consider him one of my greatest friends.

Brown: Oh, that's nice. I wish I could do something so great.

Green: He did many great things... I believe you can, too.

Green whispered.

Green: This doesn't have to be your fate.

Brown: What do you mean?

Green: The Cloaked Figure... leave him.

Brown: I can't... I would be punished. Tortured.

Green: He has tortured you into fearing him... tortured you into doing his will. He is afraid of your ability. He may have tortured you into using it for him, but you can use it for yourself. If you find the right Pikmin friends, you will learn a life beyond the Cloaked Figure.

Brown nodded, but looked sad, as though he did not really believe it could happen.

Green: Have hope.

Although Green did not want to interfere in other worlds' affairs, Green he nonetheless wanted to help this Brown in some way. He felt that perhaps it would serve as a thank you to the Brown he once knew, to help a similar Brown from another world.

 

  * **So we now see what can cause Green to shift his stance on non-interference, which is saving his friends or at least saving people very similar to his friends. I thought this was a significant scene to address, with one of the characters getting a chance to reunite with one of the deceased characters. Brown's death in late AoO3 was rather sudden and traumatic, for someone who had such a larger arc than other characters. So I thought it was good to acknowledge him here. In AoO2 and AoO3, Brown was characterized as someone beaten and imprisoned into submission, who eventually rises up to his oppressors and finds his innate powers -- before tragically being killed. So this is something else the parallel universe scenario grants, which is an opportunity for more positive outcomes. This time, Brown doesn't necessarily have to die.**



 

 

**MEANWHILE**

 

The Cloaked Figure traveled through the forest, searching for the portal.

Shadow Bulborb: Master... we have just received word that the Pik Clones staged a breakout. We are in pursuit of them now.

Cloaked Figure: Hmm. This wouldn't have happened with a more competent jailer like Silver. Oh well, the Pik Clones are of no matter. We must focus all our efforts on finding the portal. Once we are through, we will become even more powerful.

Shadow Bulborb: Yes, master.

 

  * **This is subtly leading up to one of the big story arcs I had planned for the last act of AoOX, which involves multiple antagonists uniting with the Shadow Race in a bid for world domination.**



 

 

**BACK WITH TEAM GREEN**

 

Minion: We're here.

It was night, and the team of five stood hidden near trees as they observed the Dark Pikmin Base, surrounded by both Pikmin and Pikavore security. Silver was doing something odd with some strange powdery substance.

Green: Are you disguising yourself?

Silver: Yes. How did you know?

Green: I once knew someone like you.

Silver: Ah. Well, I'm a master of disguise. This powder grows from these kinds of trees naturally. It is gray in color, and I am applying it to give myself a gray color.

Silver continued this for a while until he was now indistinguishable from Gray.

Gray (Silver): I've encountered him before in the war. I know how to imitate his voice, his mannerisms, and even apply the touches of powder right to make the small bodily characteristics look just right. On the way here, I was also picking up plants to give myself just the right scent, too, for those nosy Pikavores.

 

  * **In the original stories, I always scripted Silver's name as the name of whomever he was disguising. This time, I decided to put his real name in parentheses for the sake of preventing confusion.**



 

Green: Impressive.

Gray (Silver): Thank you. Now, I will take each of you as my prisoners. Let's go.

So they headed on towards the base. They were initially stopped by some security, but Silver's disguise proved effective, and Silver was allowed to take his "prisoners" into the base. They moved through some rooms unnoticed by the Dark Pikmin, until at last they arrived at the cells.

Dark Bulb: Well... I think we've fixed those batteries. Oh, hey there, Gray!

Purple: Has he got... the Cloaked Figure's minion with him? 

Gray (Silver): Why, yes, I do.

Dark Bulb: And... a new Dark Pikmin? On a horse? 

Dark Green: That's right!

Dark Bulb: A Green Pikmin... a Brown Pikmin... I've never heard of these! How did you find these, Gray?

Green then conked him unconscious with the handle of his sword.

Purple: Hey, Gray! Control your prisoners! 

 

  * **This is the first we see again of Purple's notorious angry face.**



 

Green: We are no prisoners...

Green then conked Purple unconscious as well. He then proceeded to take a key and free the Pik Group from their cell. They had pleased looks on their faces.

Green: So, where is the shard?

Red: We hid it. Like I said, you help us, and we help you.

Green: I have helped you.

Red: We need help with the war in our world, and I will help you with the one in yours by giving you this shard back.

Green: I cannot interfere any more in this world than I must.

Red: You must. Or else you will not receive the shard.

Dark Purple and Gray then walked into the room, and took notice of the Gray impostor and the freed Pikmin.

Dark Purple: Oh no!

He ran and flipped the alarm switch, causing it to blare throughout the base. Yarly neighed.

Dark Green: We will take care of this.

Dark Green rode out of the room, trampling over Gray.

Minion: Get that shard out of them!

Green nodded as Minion dragged Brown with him out of the room, followed by Silver.

Green: Make this quick. What would you have me do?

Red: We need to rescue the Light Pikmin first.

Green nodded, and the he and the Pik Group headed into another jail cell room, where the Light Pikmin were each held in an individual glass cell with some strange vent above each of them. Green went to each cell, smashing the glass open with his sword, and freeing the Light Pikmin - Pink, Bright Yellow, Light Blue, Light Purple, Light Bulb, and Light Orange.

 

  * **So this is the first we hear of the old Light Pikmin group, most of whom were killed in AoO3, and one of whom was killed in AoO2 (Light Purple).**



 

Bright Yellow: Those vents in the cells were devices to absorb our light energy. We're all weak.

Light Orange: We can do what we can!

Pink: Thank you for freeing us.

Red: Oh... my... who is this? 

Pink: ....

Blue: 

Yellow: 

White: 

Red: 

Pink: 

Green: ...Oh, dear, not this again.

 

  * **This is a reference to the rather cringey romantic jokes revolving around Red and Pink in the last chapters of AoO1 and throughout AoO2.**



 

The group of 12 left the room and eventually exited the base. A battle was occurring outside as Pikmin and Pikavore security were fighting Green's teammates. Yarly neighed as Dark Green slashed his sword down through security forces, and Minion fought with his fists, and Silver fought with his stem. Silver particularly confused the security forces, as he was still disguised as Gray.

 

  * **So what follows will be one of the story's more action-packed sequences. We previously got a lot of action in Part 8: Battle Atop the Spire, and we will soon be getting yet even more again in a couple of chapters.**



 

The Pik Group and Light Pik Group joined in the fight, making the battle even bigger. Green noticed Bulb, however, spit out the Rift Shard before entering the battle, using his teeth to attack. So that's where it was all along! Green went and retrieved the shard. He looked around, disturbed by the sight of Dark Green and Minion killing so many Pikmin who were only loyal to the Dark Pikmin out of fear.

Minion: Use your power!

He punched Brown in the side. Brown released a bright explosion from within himself, scorching several Pikavores to death. Brown then found himself near Pikmin security, who cowered as Brown ran towards him, believing he was about to use his power to kill them.

And indeed, Brown nearly did, but suddenly stopped himself. Brown recalled Green's words that using his power for the Cloaked Figure didn't have to be his fate, that he could use it for something truly great. Brown and Green looked to each other, both understanding. Green was suddenly inspired as well. He threw the Rift Shard to the ground. He then looked up towards the starry sky, seeing the World Blaster's platform far above them. Green knew what he had to do.

Green: I am going for the World Blaster.

 

  * **So Green has finally felt pushed to get involved at last.**



 

Brown: Wow, that?

Green: Yes... Will you help me?

Brown: Yeah!

Minion: Oh no he doesn't! He's not going anywhere!

The Minion started to attack Brown, but he was startled as he suddenly saw a vision of Light Green before him.

Light Green: No!

The vision then disappeared.

Minion: S... Silver?

 

  * **At first, the Minion thinks this is Silver disguised as Light Green.**



 

And then a vision of Light Brown appeared behind him. And then visions of both Light Green and Light Brown began to alternate around him.

Green: The One of Sorrow?

Light Brown (One of Sorrow): Yes, that's me.

The Minion felt haunted by the One of Sorrow as it alternated between the forms of Light Green and Light Brown, both having been killed by the Cloaked Figure's forces early on after the Cloaked Figure unleashed his army upon the world.

Light Brown (One of Sorrow): You must put an end to this war between the Light and Dark Pikmin. I have tried my best to stop them over the years, but I've only hindered them from annihilating each other.

Green: You need more forms of the dead to have an emotional impact to stop them. But everyone here is still alive.

Light Green (One of Sorrow): Go, Green.

 

  * **So this was an opportunity for me to swiftly shoehorn in a few more character references, including the "One of Sorrow" spiritual entity who haunted the characters in AoO3 in an attempt to stop the warring Pikmin. It also gave me an opportunity to kind of insert the parallel universe's Light Green and Light Brown here. We can presume they were both killed by the Cloaked Figure's forces early on, after the Cloaked Figure took their DNA for research (something mentioned fleetingly in the previous chapter). What's interesting to note here is that, as this is only the One of Sorrow in disguise, a true version of Light Brown never really appears in AoOX, having been killed off late in AoO3. But I like the idea that he assembled with Light Green to try to stop the rise of the Cloaked Figure, as neither of them would have joined up with the Pik Group in this universe, but would have still been off on their own. So there's a rich history of details to each of these parallel universes.**



 

Green nodded and then turned to the other Pik Group members.

Green: I'm going for the World Blaster! Aid me!

They nodded. Red, White, Yellow, Blue, and Bulb joined Green and Brown as they headed back into the base, while the Light Pik Group continued to fight outside. As they carried on through the base, the Dark Pikmin appeared.

Wine: Kill them!

Red lunged for Wine, as Gold attacked White. Yellow joined White in fighting Gold, and Dark Purple pounced on Blue with his heavy weight. Bulb tried to drag Dark Purple off with his teeth, but Dark Orange then attacked and knocked him back. Gray then attacked White. The fight had evened out, with Green and Brown trying to figure out how to join in without accidentally harming their allies.

Navy then suddenly appeared.

Ice Navy: DIE!

Navy blasted ice in Green and Brown's direction, and Green barely pulled him down to dodge.

Green: What the?

Green quickly pulled Brown up and threw him behind a table, crouched down, and pulled the table down to block more ice blasts.

Ice Navy: Arggh!!!

Navy furiously hurled blasts of ice their way, and also in the directions of other Pik Group members, who barely dodged.

Ice Navy: I will freeze you all!!! 

Purple: SHUT UP! 

 

  * **Yelling "SHUT UP!" is another notorious characteristic of Purple.**



 

Suddenly, Navy was pounced from behind and knocked unconscious by Purple.

Red: ...Purple?

Purple: That's right!

Green and Brown got up and joined the others (some of whom were still fighting).

Green: Do you know of how to get up to the World Blaster, Purple?

Purple: They wouldn't authorize me. 

Dark Bulb: I know, though.

Dark Bulb had a look as though he was tired of Black's rule over the lands.

Dark Bulb: I'll take you to the hover pods.

 

  * **This gives us one final reference, to Dark Bulb, who decided to turn good late in AoO1 shortly before succumbing to his injuries. Dark Bulb represented the first Dark Pikmin to break from the mold of villainy, a theme which recurs more frequently in AoOX.**



 

Green and Brown nodded and followed him. Bulb was being crushed under Dark Purple's weight, but the other Pikmin were too busy fighting to help. Suddenly, Silver knocked Dark Purple down. He was still in his Gray disguise.

Bulb: Okay?

Gray (Silver): There ya go.

He helped a surprised Bulb up from the floor and the two carried on fighting the Dark Pikmin. The base had now become a massive mess due to all the fighting. Green, Brown, and Dark Bulb arrived at the hover pods.

 

  * **So now we see in the parallel universe, Silver helping Bulb, as I suspect Silver doesn't really want to work for the Cloaked Figure anymore at this point. It's not truly in his heart.**



 

Dark Bulb: Good luck.

Green and Brown nodded. They entered the hover pods and rode them up. After some time, they arrived at the World Blaster's platform in the sky.

Black: Hmm? How... DID YOU GET HERE?!

Green: We were helped by one of your own.

Black growled and then started to charge up a dark blast. Green and Brown dodged as Black launched a black energy that nearly hit them. They leaped so far in dodging that they neared the edge of the platform, sending chills through their bodies. It was a very long way back down to the earth!

 

  * **This fight on the World Blaster recalls the final battle from AoO1 Part 12: The Final Battle.**



 

Brown: I will get him... You get the cannon.

Green nodded. The two got up as Black began to charge another attack. Brown ran towards Black, and with a blast of both Brown's own bright energy and Black's dark energy, the two were launched through the air. Brown grabbed onto the edge of the platform, and Black wrapped his stem around Brown's legs, holding on for dear life.

Green ran over to the World Blaster's console and pressed several buttons until its self-destruct program was initiated. He only had a minute to get away. Green ran over to the edge to help Brown up, but Brown couldn't get up with Black's weight holding him down.

Brown: Go! There's not much time!

Green: No!

Green took his sword and carefully slashed it downward, cutting Black's stem from his head. Black fell down through the sky towards the earth.

Black: *Wilhelm scream*

 

  * **The Wilhelm scream is a stock scream that's thrown into a lot of movies as an inside joke, including movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Lord of the Rings. You can look it up on YouTube to hear what it sounds like, you may recognize it. I've always thought it hilarious when it gets inserted into movies, so I decided to start including it in my fan-fictions as well. Personally, my favorite Wilhelm scream is from Raiders of the Lost Ark, when a Nazi officer is flung out of the back of a truck into the windshield of a car behind.**



 

Green pulled Brown up, and the two rushed over to the hover pods, riding them back down towards the earth. After a few more moments, the World Blaster exploded in a fiery blaze. Green and Brown barely got away from the force of the blast.

Back down on the earth, Dark Bulb smiled as he saw the fire blast in the air. The Pikmin and Pikavore security suddenly surrendered to the Light Pikmin upon seeing it as well.

Yellow Pikmin Security #4: It's gone! 

Wollywog Security #2: We're free! 

 

  * **It's a victory now for this universe, however things will soon get very ugly for our universe. Both the Cloaked Figure and the World Blaster will reemerge into play.**



 

Elsewhere, the Pik Clones, who were emerging from the forest, also saw it.

Commander Alpha: Oh no. This won't bode well for the Dark Pikmin.

Back at the base, the Pik Group and Light Pik Group had gathered outside, with the defeated Dark Pikmin now surrendering. Except for the Dark Pikmin, the whole base was cheering, though Dark Bulb was cheering silently. The Dark Pikmin were tied up. Dark Green was nowhere to be seen.

Minion: Hey!

The Minion was struggling as he was also getting tied up by Light Purple.

Light Purple: Enough of that.

Light Purple struggled to tie him. Elsewhere, Purple was with the Pik Group.

Purple: I'm... sorry I turned on the group. 

White: It's okay, Purple. You came back to us when we needed you.

 

  * **And so now Purple finally gets the redemption that the Pik Group said he should have had, back in AoO1 Part 5, after he was killed.**



 

Silver, who was now out of his Gray disguise, was starting to get tied up, but Bulb was quite insistent about stopping it.

Bulb: Okay? Okay? Okay? Okay?

Light Bulb: Okay, okay, stop tying him.

The Pikmin ex-security stopped tying Silver up.

Silver: Thank you.

Little did Silver and Bulb know the irony that in Green's universe, Bulb had killed Silver on Orange's orders.

Light Blue: We did it.

Pink: Yes. We won the war with the Dark Pikmin.

The two friends smiled at each other (Pink making the equivalent of a smile, anyway, as Pinks had noses rather than mouths).

 

  * **This references the friendship that our universe's Light Blue has repeatedly mentioned in previous chapters.**



 

Wine: Look... it's...

The other Dark Pikmin took notice of their master floating down from the sky. Black was using his dark energy to hover him slightly every so often as he fell, until at last he landed safely on the ground. Blood was pouring down his face and body from where his stem had been cut off.

Black: AAAARGH! 

The entire crowd looked startled.

Black: I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!! 

Black began to charge the last of his energy and aimed towards Pink. Red then jumped in the way as Black fired. Suddenly, a blast of gray and light came back and hit the dark energy, causing it to fade.

Red: H... how did I do that?

Pink: I helped you. We Light Pikmin can help trigger the neutral energies in Neutral Pikmin.

Red: It was... such a rush... 

Pink: .... 

 

  * **Besides being cringe-inducing, there is a purpose to this moment. It explains how, in the climax of AoO1, the neutral Pikmin were able to unleash their powers, which later stories showed to be actually rather difficult. So we see here that the Light Pikmin can use their light energy to influence and bring out the neutral energy of a neutral Pikmin, thus filling in a hole from the earlier stories.**



 

Yellow: D'awww... 

Blue: Enough! 

Bulb: Okay?

The One of Sorrow watched as Black was getting tied up and the Light Pikmin attended to the stemless wound on his head. The entity hoped that perhaps this would be the first stage in the end of the Light/Dark Pikmin Wars, as well as the War Between Two Evils.

 

  * **So this is the last we will see of the Realm of Two Evils' villains, we can only hope they will successfully be put to justice for their crimes. In the meantime, however, no one has noticed that Dark Green managed to slip away from the battle.**



 

Green and Brown arrived back down in their hover pods.

Red: The heroes!

The Pik Group ran over to the two.

Red: You don't know how much we owe you.

Green: It was nothing. But I must go now. I must get the Rift Shard.

Yellow: Here it is!

Yellow handed it to him.

White: Good luck, Green.

Blue: Yeah!

They all gave a nod of thanks. Green gave a nod of acknowledgement back. He had not seen them in such a long time, as most of their versions from his world were long dead. He took a moment to realize and appreciate this, and then turned to Brown.

Green: These will be good Pikmin, Brown. They will be good, true friends to you.

 

  * **This touches on more of the depth of the parallel universe concept. Here, it represents an opportunity to see the deceased ones you care about alive again, although it's not quite right, as these aren't really the same people you knew, just very very similar. So there's kind of hint of bittersweetness to that, I think. Green wisely appreciates this opportunity, and this opportunity to pay tribute to the one who died saving him, Brown.**



 

Bulb: Okay?

Brown: Okay.

Green: Okay!

Bulb: Okay?

Brown: Okay?

Green: Okay.

Brown: Thanks, Green.

Green: And thank you.

Green left the crowd as it began to celebrate.

 

  * **And thus concludes the Realm of Two Evils arc, ending things on a more positive note, compared to the bleaker note that many chapters end on in this story. It's our last happy ending for a while.**



 

  * **There's actually one more scene from the original extended "Adventures Without Orange" chapter here, covering Green's reunion with the Pik Clones and the reflections on their recent experiences. However, for the sake of keeping things from hitting the 20 page boundary I wanted to avoid, I cut this scene out of here and saved it for a later chapter, Part 16.**




	13. Another Generation with Commentary

**Part 13: Another Generation**

 

  * **This title references the title of the Untold Story, The Adventure of Orange 4: A New Generation. As this chapter visits the events of that story, but in another universe, and hence it is "another" generation rather than a new generation.**



 

White and Dark Winged were in a wooded area at sunrise. They had just arrived in another realm and had just ended communication with the Pik Group.

White: Alright, it's time to get the Rift Shard. Follow me.

Dark Winged: Why should I follow you?

White: Because I'm more experienced.

Dark Winged: I am opposed to a Light Pikmin leading me.

White: Well, I am certainly not letting a Dark Pikmin lead me. How about this, neither of us leads? We just go as equals.

Dark Winged nodded.

Dark Winged: I agree to the compromise.

 

  * **So in this chapter, I teamed up White and Dark Winged, who are perhaps the two most reasonable Pikmin of their respective sides (the light and the dark).**



 

And so the two headed off. After a short distance, they found a town populated by Pikmin. It had a number of buildings - homes, public places; and busy streets as well. Where Pikmin had not yet made buildings and paved roads, some of nature had managed to live on in the forms of trees and tall, colorful flowers and other plants.

White: What is this town? I have never seen such a town.

Dark Winged: Well, it is a parallel universe. Things won't be quite right.

White: You there...

White got the attention of a Blue bystander.

White: What town is this?

Blue Bystander: It's Sprout Town, of course! What bridge are you living under?

The bystander walked away from them shaking his head.

White: Have you ever heard of Sprout Town?

Dark Winged: I haven't.

 

  * **So this gives us a taste of the most urban nature of AoO4's story. In a sense it was more "futuristic", and so in a sense more otherworldly to our protagonists.**



 

The two walked through Sprout Town for a few hours until at last they stopped at a library.

Police Pikmin: Hey, you there!

A Red Police Pikmin inside the library came over to them. The Purple librarian gave a disgruntled look at the noise he had made.

Police Pikmin: I've never seen you two around here. Who are you?

White and Dark Winged looked to each other for a moment and then introduced themselves.

Police Pikmin: Travelers?

White: Yeah, something like that.

Police Pikmin: "Something like that"? We can't have you suspicious types around here.

He then turned to Dark Winged.

Police Pikmin: And you. I've never seen a Pikmin like you around here. Flying? Pink? And dark? It gives me an uneasy feeling. The Dark Pikmin have been vanquished for centuries. We don't need one of them stirring up trouble in Sprout Town, we've got enough trouble as it is with the Free Society's frail economy.

 

  * **A lot of the details here, like the "Free Society", are mentioned in AoO4, and so I made a point to mention them here in order to absorb us into the world of that story.**



 

Dark Winged: I can assure you, we mean no harm. We're just in this place for information.

Police Pikmin: What sort of information?

White: We're looking for a crystal shard. Have you heard anything about that?

Police Pikmin: Nope. Well, I will be keeping an eye on you two. After what happened yesterday, we need to be wary of you suspicious types.

White: What happened yesterday, if I may ask?

Police Pikmin: An assailant disguised in a leather black suit came in and made a mess of things, caused a ruckus. Attacked some Pikmin.

 

  * **This references a scene from AoO4, in which "??? 4" (Dark Purple) attacked the Pik Group. So our chapter now, in AoOX, is set a day after those events.**



 

White shook his head.

White: I can assure you, we don't mean to cause any ruckuses.

Police Pikmin: We'll see about that.

He left the library. White and Dark Winged wandered through the library until they saw something striking - an old painting hanging on the wall, covered in a glass pane. White recognized what it was depicting instantly: Orange standing on a rocky field in a fighting stance faced towards the Bomb-Fortress with the Dark Pikmin's forces standing below it. At the bottom was written, "The Battle of the Bomb-Fortress".

White: What is this? This is the battle that Orange and the rest of us were in six years ago. Why is it a painting?

Dark Winged: When you beat the Dark Pikmin before Dark Finned, Dark Rock, and I? Commander Alpha told me about it.

White went to a near by Yellow Pikmin and got her attention.

White: Hey there, do you know what this painting is depicting?

Purple Librarian: Sshh!!

They quieted their voices.

Yellow Pikmin: You really don't know? Everyone knows.

White: We're from... out of town.

Yellow Pikmin: It's a world-wide known historical event, silly. That is the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress, when Pikmin, Bulborbs, and Wollywogs united and defeated the Dark Pikmin. You know what those all are, don't you?

Dark Winged: Yes, we know.

White: When did it happen?

Yellow Pikmin: Over 200 years ago. The Orange Pikmin being shown is considered legendary himself. But I'm a believer.

 

  * **So this is why I call this universe the "Realm of Legends", as our protagonists are legends to the world at large.**



 

White: I'm a believer, too.

Yellow Pikmin: You just found out the story!

White shrugged.

White: So what year is it now?

Yellow Pikmin: Seriously?

White: Well, I go by something of a different calendar, you might say.

Yellow Pikmin: It's GGEEEECAAA.

 

  * **During AoO3, I had created a little dating system for the Pikmin World. Although I'm not sure that, in the Pikmin's language, they would actually pronounce out all those individual letters the way we probably do when reading them. Anyway, the year GGEEEECAAA is equivalent to 2413. But in the Main Realm, the year is only GGEECBAA (2217). Also, the year 2017 would be GGCBAA.**



 

She then turned to Dark Winged with a confused look.

Yellow Pikmin: Hey... uh, cool wings and color you've got there.

Dark Winged: Um... thank you.

Yellow Pikmin: Interesting date you've got there, White stranger.

She then wandered off.

Dark Winged: Date?

 

  * **In fiction (and not to mention real life,) people who live in "the city" are often stereotyped as having "more personality", so I thought I would have the Yellow Pikmin denizen make a little quip here before heading out.**



 

White: So, anyway, in our universe the year is GGEECBAA. So the universe we're in now is 196 years later.

The two continued to wander through the library for the next hour or so to see if they could find out any information. They even checked on some strange computer system called the "Virtual Net", but found nothing. As they were doing this, the wavy light images of Light Green, Orange, and Green appeared.

Light Green: Just checking for updates. Any shards found yet? Any Shadow Race entities encountered?

White shook his head to both questions, as did the others.

Light Green: That's good about the latter, at least. Shadow Ki-Pr spoke of a strategy. You may not encounter the Shadow Race for some time.

Orange appeared to be sleepy, with his eyes half-closed and his head leaning to the side.

Light Green: I apologize, Orange, did I wake you?

Orange: It's no problem... We're up in a tree. Light Blue and Dark Finned are asleep.

Green: Is it dark there, still?

Orange: Yeah.

Green: It's daylight here.

Light Green: It's daylight here as well.

White: And here. And on that note, the universe I'm in is actually in the year GGEEEECAAA.

Light Green: Two centuries in the future? It seems that we didn't all land at the same point in time for each universe. Well, keep looking. My universe seems to be in a "World of Paradise" where the Gray Spectralids are still alive. I'll try to find out more information.

 

  * **So, certain universes are further ahead in physical expansion and history than others. The Realm of Legends is about two centuries ahead of the Main Realm.**



 

White nodded, as did the others, and Light Green ended the communication. White and Dark Winged then left the library, feeling there was nothing more here they could find out.

 

  * **So this is the one time we'll witness an interdimentional briefing in the Realm of Legends arc. The next interdimensional meeting occurs after the timing of this particular chapter. But if you've looked at other chapters in which the second briefing occurs, you'll see White reference that he accomplished his mission here.**



 

Dark Winged: Well, maybe we should put up wanted posters.

White: No... I have thought.

Dark Winged: A thought?

White: Light Green was able to absorb energy from the Rift Crystal into his sword, so there must be some connection between the electrical energy and light energy.

Dark Winged: What are you thinking?

White: A surge of electricity was used to vibrate the universe's dark energy to create the spatial tear. Maybe that dark energy has some connection to Dark Pikmin's dark energy. Maybe, if we combine our powers, we can trace the location of the Rift Shard, if I can use my powers to direct yours.

 

  * **Here, I give another hint that the Light/Dark Pikmin powers are related to familiar physics, as was previously hinted back in Part 8. In real life, light energy is made of electromagnetic radiation, and dark energy is hypothetical energy that expands the universe. So I thought it would be interesting to link the real life concepts with the Pikmin's powers. I'll admit that this takes away some of the mystical quality of the Pikmin's powers, and the same rules may not be true for other universes. For example, in the Realm of Legends itself, as noted in the opening paragraphs of AoO4, the Pikmin's powers are referred to as "positive" and "negative" energy. So, as there are untold amounts of universes with different subtleties, it could be that the nature of the Light/Dark Pikmin powers are different in different universes, despite appearing superficially similar.**



 

  * **This also hints at a possible connection between the Rift Crystal and the Light/Dark Crystals. Indeed, this connection is later confirmed in Part 23 as the origin of the crystals is revealed.**



 

Dark Winged: Well... it's worth a try.

White took Dark Winged to a more calm environment, where he began to instruct her on bringing out the dark energy in herself.

White: Since you've never done this before, and since I'm not especially well-trained in using light energy, we're going to need to work together. Sit down. So calm your mind. Close your eyes.

Dark Winged nodded and did so, lowering herself to a seat, closing her eyes.

White: Now... there is an energy deep within all Pikmin. It is mysterious, its cause for existing not known. For Neutral Pikmin, this manifests as what is known as "neutral energy". But for most, their knowledge of it is only subconscious. Light and Dark Pikmin have the added light and dark energy, which we are more conscious of. You just have to reach back into your subconscious, back to where the will to control that inner energy is at.

White also was closing his eyes and calming his mind, and starting to manipulate Dark Winged's energy slightly. She could only barely touch upon it mentally, but this was enough to help White direct it out. White did this for a few minutes.

White: Do you feel anything? Any sense of direction?

Dark Winged: I do feel something... in that direction...

Dark Winged pointed towards it.

White: Well, it's worth checking out.

Dark Winged: It feels very distant, though.

White: Try to keep some hold over that part of your subconscious. We'll need you to keep trying to feel it.

 

  * **So one of the things I wanted to do in this chapter is really give us an opportunity for a Light Pikmin and Dark Pikmin to connect and work together. So this is represented in White and Dark Winged tapping into their inner psychic abilities and combining them to find the shard.**



 

Dark Winged nodded and opened her eyes. She tried to hold on to what she had just touched upon. They headed across the town to find some means of transport. At last, White saw a parking lot for small planes. They met an older red Pikmin there.

Older Red Pikmin: Well, if you want the wings, you're going to need to pay up.

He started swinging the keys.

White: How much does it cost?

Older Red Pikmin: 25 golden nectar pieces.

White: Well... can we make a different arrangement?

Older Red Pikmin: Nope.

White looked to Dark Winged. Dark Winged seemed to realize what White wanted her to do. She flew up and snatched the keys from the old Pikmin.

Older Red Pikmin: Hey... give that back!

White hopped in the front seat of the plane they were next to, and Dark Winged hovered into the back seat. She tossed him the keys, and he started up the plane.

Older Red Pikmin: You can't do that!

He ran over towards them, but White had already started to move the plane. The old Pikmin leaped out of the way as White drove the plane along the parking lot.

Dark Winged: Do you know how to use these?

White: No, but there's a first time for everything!

White messed with various controls until the plane was up in the air. Soon, they were high in the sky and could see Sprout Town and the surrounding forests below.

 

  * **One of the things I had planned on incorporating in AoO4 was more vehicle-driven and action scenes, like you would see in an action movie. My vision of AoO4 and the Untold Trilogy as a whole was that, in fact, the Pikmin would travel around in a flying ship of sorts (akin to the airships from Super Mario Bros. 3.) So there would have been a fantasy characteristic as well.**



 

Dark Winged: You know, I could have just flown myself.

White: But you wouldn't have the energy to go a long distance.

Dark Winged: Well, I have to say, I'm impressed that a Light Pikmin was willing to do an action like stealing. Commander Alpha told me you're all very self-righteous and rigid about your moral views.

White: There are gray areas. Our universe, and possibly more, are on the line. We don't have time to wait.

Dark Winged: Smart thinking.

White: You know, the Dark Pikmin could learn some things from the Light Pikmin, too. You want to talk about rigid. The Dark Pikmin turned down an offer of friendship that Orange gave.

Dark Winged didn't say anything to that.

White: Are you still holding on to that part of your subconscious?

Dark Winged: Yes...

So White reached his hand back and continued to try to direct her power. She continued to try to reach out and feel her dark energy contact with the trace of dark energy that came from their universe through this universe with the Rift Shard. White continued to fly along in the direction that Dark Winged was feeling.

White: If only Dark Pikmin could maintain this sort of peace of mind...

Dark Winged: What do you mean?

White: Many Light Pikmin were under the impression that the dark energy causes aggression, hence why Dark Pikmin have been so antagonistic historically. Light energy was more psychologically conductive to serenity.

 

  * **It is worth mentioning that in this story, the "scientific" dark energy is a force that expands and tears the spaces of universes. So there might be something to the idea that dark energy causes some innate aggression. Light energy might be more conductive to serenity, as the brain is already driven by electricity.**



 

Dark Winged: I would definitely question that hypothesis.

White: Well, think what you want, but that is what history shows.

Dark Winged: The Light Pikmin have been aggressive towards us. Do you really think you're so perfect?

White: No... not at all. You are correct.

Dark Winged was surprised to hear this.

White: Long ago, it was a silly and childish dispute that broke the Light and Dark Pikmin up from being friends. The Light Pikmin were equally to blame.

Dark Winged was impressed that a Light Pikmin owning up to faults.

Dark Winged: Why don't Light Pikmin appreciate the Dark Pikmin's choices to take over the world?

White: Because everyone should have freedom, we believe.

Dark Winged: But you need law and order.

White: Well, the historical insanity of Dark Pikmin has not typically been conductive to orderliness. The World Blaster, the Bomb-Fortress, to name a couple of examples.

Dark Winged: Those decisions were influenced by Black and Dark Orange, though, who I will concede were not mentally fit for leadership. I think you should give the Dark Pikmin a chance to prove themselves good world rulers. We tend to assemble militaries. That's good for keeping our kingdoms safe by outside hostilities.

White: That is true.

Dark Winged: We are also more involved in the Pik World. Maybe things would be different if the Light Pikmin didn't hide themselves except to attack the Dark Pikmin.

White: ...That is a good point.

Dark Winged: You really think so?

White: Yeah.

Dark Winged: Maybe Light Pikmin are more open-minded than I gave credit for.

White: Would you be open to some Light Pikmin philosophies? No harm or abuse to life in the quest for power. You Dark Pikmin seem to care a lot about each other. Why so exclusive? Why not learn to love all of the living?

Dark Winged thought on this. The two talked for some time as White continued to fly in the direction of the Rift Shard. They continued to talk, with Dark Winged gradually gaining more respect for him and for the Light Pikmin's views. Likewise, White also began to appreciate some things about the Dark Pikmin and Dark Winged in particular.

 

  * **I will admit, my original impression of this chapter was a bit underwhelmed, it was one of my least favorite. And I was expecting to come back here with little to say. However, now that I'm rereading it for the commentary, I do think this chapter was rather good, maybe one of my better composed ones, even. I think part of my original unenthusiasm was the dialogue-driven nature of White and Dark Winged's bond. I had regretted that I didn't have more action to contrast their differing ways and bring them together in union. However, in hindsight, I realize the dialogue-driven nature makes sense. As White and Dark Winged are the most rational characters, you _would_ naturally expect them to be the two to just sit down and talk out each other's views!**



 

After a couple of hours had passed, Dark Winged began to feel the Rift Shard's direction more close to the surface. White landed the plane in a long opening within the forest, which would the plane enough space to drive before lifting off again. The two hopped out of the plane and began to look through the forest, still looking for the Rift Shard.

 

  * **Another error spotted: that should be "which would give the plane enough space".**



 

Soon, they came upon something strange in the forest. Before them was a pond, and across from it was a burned out pyre of a charred Bulborb body and a large fish that had much of its flesh and meat cut off. Up between a couple of trees was a treehouse.

There were also Pikmin headed towards the ladder leading up to the treehouse. A Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, and Bulbmin. They were suddenly stopped by loud gunfire. A voice yelled down from above.

Orange: Stand still, vermin! Hands where I can see them!

White and Dark Winged watched as the five all held their hands up (except for Bulb, who had no hands) and looked up as Orange stepped out the doorway onto the balcony, as he cocked his rifle while aiming it towards them.

 

  * **This was one of the cool things I wanted to do in this chapter. Here, you're witnessing events from AoO4's first (and only) chapter, when the new Pik Group arrived at Orange's treehouse to get him to join in their quest.**



 

  * **A detail I forgot to mention in writing this scene is that the Pik Group was wearing backpacks in the AoO4 chapter.**



 

  * **When I was deciding which universes the characters would visit in AoOX, I wanted to show a lot of alternate scenarios from the first three stories, with the villains winning. And then I decided, I should have a chapter featuring AoO4 as well, since it too portrayed an alternate outcome of events. That would be a neat way to acknowledge it and yet separate its continuity from AoOX. In my mind, the "Untold Stories" still "happened", even if they were never properly told in fan-fic form. So, they happened in another universe.**



 

Red: We're not here to harm you!

Orange: Are you the leader, there, Red?!

White thought this was odd.

White: Strange seeing another Orange Pikmin.

White and Dark Winged continued to observe.

Red: Yes!

Orange: Well, if you're not here harm me, then take your sorry pack of hinds out of here!

Red: But we need your hel-

Another gunshot startled them all again. Orange cocked the rifle again.

Orange: Leave now! With your hands in the air!

Red nodded, and they all turned and walked to a path between the trees nervously, each with their hands in the air. Eventually, they were out of sight. The Orange Pikmin went back into his treehouse.

Dark Winged: Well, let's not get caught in a crossfire between crazy locals.

White: Agreed.

White and Dark Winged continued on through the forest, eventually cutting around the treehouse. As they continued their search, they heard another gunshot at some point. After a while, they also heard a loud explosion, followed by another. They began to notice smoke rising from the forest.

White: I wonder what happened.

 

  * **So here, details are mentioned referencing the action from the AoO4 chapter. The new Orange fired his gun at some point, and a couple of rockets were blasted into the treehouse by ??? 4 (Dark Purple).**



 

Dark Winged: There it is!

She pointed to the Rift Shard on the ground and grabbed it.

White: Great! Now let's get out of here.

White and Dark Winged made their way through the forest. They heard another explosion. Soon, they had arrived at a long, flat terrain like a road, similar to the one they had parked their plane at earlier, but not the same one. Then they began to hear a noise, like a vehicle coming.

White: Look out!

White leaped and shoved Dark Winged out of the way as an unusual vehicle came bursting from the trees. It was made of wood, flat, square, slightly elongated, and with small walling around the sides. There were wheels on every corner, a tank slightly hanging on the bottom for some kind of fuel. The Orange, Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, and Bulb they had seen earlier were in it as the vehicle raged across the road.

White: I guess we're not the only ones with adventures.

After a few moments, a motorcycle also roared past, its driver bulky, wearing a black leather suit around its entire body, and some time of mask similar looking to a gas mask. White and Dark Winged had been standing unseen behind trees as it drove past in pursuit of the Pik Group.

 

  * **This leads up to the "car chase" action scene from AoO4, as Dark Purple on motorcycle pursues the Pik Group in their crude little vehicle. I like the idea that they basically scrape past the heroes from our universe, without noticing them.**



 

White: Well, what a crazy day. What do you say we get out of here?

Dark Winged: Good idea.

The two headed away.

 

  * **And thus this concludes the Realm of Legends arc. This venture is shorter than the others, as the world-building in the other three universes necessitated splitting them each into two chapters' worth of writing. But in this chapter, it's just reminding you of a lot of the world-building already covered in AoO4, so there's no need to get too extensive with the writing. One chapter sufficiently covers the Realm of Legends.**



 

  *   **So in conclusion, in addition to acknowledging AoO4, this chapter builds a newfound respect between a Light Pikmin and a Dark Pikmin, which is thematically very significant. The lines between Light Pikmin and Dark Pikmin are no longer clear.**



 

  * **Along that same note, it's worth mentioning that AoOX gave me an opportunity to address some themes I had wanted to explore in AoO4 and the Untold Stories. One of those themes was, of course, going to be the gray area between the Light Pikmin and Dark Pikmin, and exploring the idea of Light Pikmin turning bad or Dark Pikmin turning good, and Light and Dark Pikmin aligning with each other. AoOX doesn't necessarily flesh that out as extensively as I probably would have in the Untold Stories, but I'm satisfied with it overall. AoOX wasn't meant to be as extensive as the Untold Stories, anyway.**




	14. World of Paradise with Commentary

**Part 14: World of Paradise**

 

  * **This chapter's title is a throwback to AoO2 Part 15: World of Chaos, and it becomes very clear as to why by the end of the chapter.**



 

It was daylight, and Light Green traveled across a rocky terrain, followed by Rock, Winged, and Finned, as well as Dark Rock and Shadow Ki-Pr. The two villains were being held as prisoners, agreeing to go along for fear of Light Pikmin's power as well as attack from the three Pikmin newbs.

Light Green: After hours, we haven't encountered any of the Shadow Race. Why are they leaving this world alone?

Shadow Ki-Pr made the equivalent of a smile.

Shadow Ki-Pr: We won't for much longer.

Light Green: There will be an attack?

Shadow Ki-Pr didn't see the point in keeping it a secret, especially as he feared Light Green's power.

Shadow Ki-Pr: All worlds we have access to will fall. But there is a specific strategy we typically follow. We only focus our efforts on one world at a time. If we separate, we become disorganized and vulnerable. Right now, my kind will be focused on your world before they conquer this one and the others.

 

  * **I felt this was necessary to explain why our protagonists hadn't faced the Shadow Race in the previous realm chapters. It might be more out of convenience to the plot, but I think it also makes sense. It also gives the Shadow Race some complexity as a race that follows a system of order, which is rather ironic considering that their mission objective is to bring chaos into the realms they encounter. Indeed, they are not necessarily as chaotic as we are led to believe.**



 

Light Green thought about this. They continued walking for some time, until they stumbled upon something.

Finned: Wow... what is that?

The group of six had stopped, seeing an amazing sight ahead. A large silvery-white fortress was ahead, surrounded by several towers with spiraling staircases. Dozens of flying vehicles were traveling though the air, above and around the fortress. The group of six carried onward some ways until they got near the entrance of the fortress. Living Gray Spectralids surrounded the area. One approached them.

 

  * **Since the first three Realm arcs focused on different outcomes of events from the first three stories as well as the existence of the Untold Stories, I thought it was then natural to feature an alternate outcome of an arc introduced in AoOX. Since the Gray Spectralid mythology is crucial to the story's plot, it is natural to show us a universe where they are alive and well.**



 

  * **As we will later learn, that this chapter also presents an alternate outcome from yet another aspect of AoO2. Some of the details, such as the surrounding towers with spiraling staircases and the flying vehicles, are subtle clues to this, though I doubt anyone who read the AoO series would keep track of its little details.**



 

Gray Spectralid: Hello, I am Gr-Tr. What brings you travelers here?

 

  * **Gr-Tr's name is a play on the word "greeter".**



 

Light Green: We are here by accident, from another realm. We don't know where we are.

Gr-Tr: Ah, then allow me to introduce you to the Gray Spectralids' World of Paradise. Before you is Paradise Fortress, a center for peaceful gathering. Let me show you inside.

 

  * **In this universe, the Gray Spectralids have a more dominant influence throughout the Pik World, compared to the one in our universe. The Gray Spectralid civilization here is much more widespread.**



 

Light Green nodded, and the group followed the Spectralid inside. The appearance was similar to Spire Fortress's, with statues and imagery of Gray Spectralids, holographic projectors, various computerized sounds, and a ceiling of glass showing the sunny sky above. The walls in Paradise Fortress happened to be gray rather than white, however. The group was greeted by even more Spectralids.

 

  * **The reason for the gray coloration is that I always envisioned the fortress from the World of Chaos as having a darker, gray color.**



 

Gray Spectralid: Hello, visitors. I am Ps-Fl, director of Paradise Fortress.

 

  * **Ps-Fl's name is a play on "peaceful".**



 

He took notice of Shadow Ki-Pr.

Ps-Fl: Is that Spectralid with you?

Shadow Ki-Pr looked nervous.

Light Green: ...Yes, he is. We had Spectralids in our realm as well. His name is Ki-Pr. There might be another version of Ki-Pr in this realm as well.

 

  * **Light Green deems it best not to divulge that Ki-Pr has been killed and body-taken by a Shadow entity, though this may be a bit of a mistake.**



 

Ps-Fl: Realm? You mean as in another dimension?

Light Green nodded. The group was taken over to a scanner on the wall, which shone a blue light across Shadow Ki-Pr's body. Then on a screen on the wall, an image of Ki-Pr appeared along with some text, which Ps-Fl read.

Ps-Fl: Yes, it seems he is genetically identical to the Ki-Pr who works at our Spire Fortress.

Light Green then got a thought. Perhaps the Spire Fortress of this universe had the technology to aid them in finding the Rift Shard.

Light Green: Can we get into contact with them, then? We are in dire need of help.

Ps-Fl: Well, there is a not another Spire tour for some weeks, but I will call some scientists here. I think they will find this interesting.

Light Green: Thank you.

Ps-Fl: Until then, please enjoy our hospitality.

Ps-Fl left to go contact the Spire Fortress staff. Light Green looked around Paradise Fortress. Something about the design was oddly familiar -- not in that it was similar to Spire Fortress. But he felt as though he had been in Paradise Fortress before. Could he have been here in one of his adventures working for Seer-Eye? Or in helping the Bulborb and Wollywog allies maintain control of the Pik World territories after the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress? Or in his quest to find out about the enemies who killed Seer-Eye and Specty? None of these seemed to ring any bells. He couldn't figure out why this fortress was familiar.

 

  * **The familiarity of the fortress is because Paradise Fortress is, in fact, the fortress from the World of Chaos from AoO2. It's also the very same fortress in AoO3 that the Dark Pikmin converted into an enormous bomb. So in this chapter of AoOX, we are really seeing the origins of AoO3's Bomb-Fortress, we are seeing what the World of Chaos was like before it was brought to darkness and desolation. It was quite different.**



 

Light Green held his sword upward and used his light energy to manipulate the Rift Crystal energy within his sword. Focusing on the spirits of his friends, he caused a flash of light to appear and wavy images of Orange, Green, and White appeared.

Light Green: Just checking for updates. Any shards found yet? Any Shadow Race entities encountered?

The others shook their heads to both questions.

Light Green: That's good about the latter, at least. Shadow Ki-Pr spoke of a strategy. You may not encounter the Shadow Race for some time.

Orange appeared to be sleepy, with his eyes half-closed and his head leaning to the side.

Light Green: I apologize, Orange, did I wake you?

Orange: It's no problem... We're up in a tree. Light Blue and Dark Finned are asleep.

Green: Is it dark there, still?

Orange: Yeah.

Green: It's daylight here.

Light Green: It's daylight here as well.

White: And here. And on that note, the universe I'm in is actually in the year GGEEEECAAA.

Light Green: Two centuries in the future? It seems that we didn't all land at the same point in time for each universe. Well, keep looking. My universe seems to be in a "World of Paradise" where the Gray Spectralids are still alive. I'll try to find out more information.

 

  * **I believe this was the first time I actually wrote the interdimensional briefing scene, before adding it to the previous chapters before posting them.**



 

The others nodded, and Light Green ended the communication. His five companions had been standing next to him, watching the conversation.

Winged: So you have some energy from the crystal in your sword, correct? Perhaps that could help you find the Rift Shard.

Light Green: Not a bad idea, but I worry of using it all up.

Ps-Fl returned.

Ps-Fl: The scientists at Spire Fortress are very busy at the moment. I told them something of great interest was here at the fortress, but we were only told that they would get back to me on this in several hours. Is there any way we at the Paradise Fortress can be of assistance until then?

Light Green: Well, have any other strange otherworldy objects entered this realm? Like a shard of a crystal?

Ps-Fl: Not that I am aware of.

Light Green nodded in acknowledgment.

Ps-Fl: Well, until then, perhaps a tour of Paradise Fortress to fill up the time?

Light Green: Alright!

Ps-Fl took them to a Gray Spectralid named Tr-Gd, who began to take them around the fortress. While on the way through the fortress, Finned and Rock noticed Winged appeared troubled.

Finned: Hey, what's up?

Winged: It is nothing.

Rock: Well something's bothering you!

Winged: It is just... The recent fighting, this adventure through universes... It is all very much to handle emotionally.

Rock: Yeah, it's hard for us, too. But we'll be alright!

Rock reached up and gave a comforting pat to Winged on the back as she hovered.

Winged: My life has just been very difficult. Harsh slave labor... Getting beaten by our masters... Watching family get beaten... Life is not good for Winged Pikmin.

Finned: Why would they beat you?

Winged: Because we did not do what they wanted, exactly. They were very harsh on even the slightest of imperfection. We could do nothing other than what our masters instructed us. I am just thankful they let us have books to read during what little resting time we had. That was the only comfort we had in life. Getting kidnapped by the Pik Clones was the best thing to ever happen to me. I just wish my family could have been kidnapped as well. I wish all the Winged Pikmin could have.

Winged looked as though she was restraining herself from showing strong emotions.

Finned: Hey, girl, it's okay. Let it out.

Finned also reached her hand up onto Winged's back to give her comfort. Tears started to come from Winged's eyes, and she looked as though she was struggling and nervous to let them. Years of being beaten into hiding feelings.

Rock: It's okay. There's nothing wrong with showing feeling. We're your friends, we're here for you!

Winged nodded as tears continued to roll out, and made the Winged Pikmin equivalent of a smile.

Winged: Thank you.

Finned: You should make your own decisions in life from this point on. Choose to do and feel what you want. You are your own mistress now.

 

  * **So this scene gave us some time to characterize the Pikmin newbies more, most especially Winged. Here, a lot of her mannerisms are explained, such as her articulate speech, her emotional restraint, her diffidence which were no doubt brought on through the cruel servitude to her controlling masters. It also gives insight into her mild braininess, as reading books was all she could do in her spare time.**



 

Winged nodded. The group carried onward, continuing to follow Tr-Gd as she showed them through the fortress. The Pikmin wondered why it was called a fortress, as it seemed to have no military purpose. Indeed, the Gray Spectralids had moved beyond military altogether.

Winged: This fortress... this world is so magnificent. Peace, freedom, intellectual sophistication. I wish all places were like this.

Winged looked around the fortress, awed by what it represented. This was just the sort of world she had always dreamed of living in. Light Green, however, took notice of vestiges of military use in the fortress. Old, inactive security gateways that utilized elements. In one room, two strange cylindrical objects.

Light Green: What are those objects for?

Tr-Gd looked at the objects in disgust.

Tr-Gd: Once, they were used to produce an abomination. They would surge energy towards each other, creating an electrical and fiery ball that would increasingly grow. The two cylindrical objects, referred to by their makers as "corks" due to their appearance, would stay situated sticking out of the top and bottom of the increasingly growing ball of energy. It would just keep growing until the corks exhausted themselves after a long period of use. It would kill life it touched. The only way to disable it until then would be to knock the two corks out of their situated positions, causing the energy to evaporate. A deadly and nearly indestructible weapon of a more primitive era.

Somehow, this seemed familiar to Light Green. He was getting the increasing feeling that he had been in this fortress before from his universe.

 

  * **So more and more clues are unraveling to the identity of this fortress. The "cork/ball of energy" force that Tr-Gd just described was present during the final battle of AoO2 in Parts 16 and 17, responsible for the sacrificial death of Red.**



 

  * **Tr-Gd's name is a play on "tour guide".**



 

Light Green: Paradise Fortress was once used for military, yes?

Tr-Gd: Yes, many decades ago, before we awoke to striving for peace rather than war.

Light Green still struggled to recall how he knew this fortress. Soon, Tr-Gd concluded the tour.

Tr-Gd: Now, you can also get an aerial tour of the surrounding area.

Light Green: Hm... That sounds like a good idea!

Tr-Gd nodded, and she led the group outside and into a flying vehicle, called a Spectralid Carrier. It reminded him much of the one that the Pik Group had used to get to the Bomb-Fortress six years ago, though it seemed more refined and technologically updated.

 

  * **This is another clue, pointing to the flying vehicle that the Dark Pikmin primarily used from the Bomb-Fortress. Indeed, there were once multiple aircraft like this. And since the Shadow Race never decimated this universe, these aircraft only continued to be updated.**



 

Winged: Can I fly along outside? I want to give my wings a stretch.

Light Green: Of course!

The Spectralid Carrier ascended up into the air, as Winged followed along outside of it. Tr-Gd moved the vehicle through the air, pointing out the various things on the earth below as the group observed through the windows. Winged also observed as she flew through the air. Paradise Fortress and its surrounding towers, and much lively green forestry in the distance surrounding the fortress's more rocky terrain surrounding it. Many other Spectralid Carriers were flying across the sky as well. The movements of all the Carriers produced strangely peaceful yet otherworldly mechanical sounds.

 

  * **Overall, the World of Paradise portrays a utopia. The Gray Spectralids have become a society sophisticated in both technology and morality. But there's still always room for additional wisdom, as we'll explore in the next chapter.**



 

  * **Similarly to how Spire Fortress was inspired by Metroid Prime 2's Sanctuary Fortress, just as well, I took inspiration from Metroid Prime 3's Skytown in the creation of the World of Paradise. (I also frequently played the Skytown musical theme throughout the writing of this chapter.) I always like the sense of imagination and awe conveyed in these types of environments.**



 

Winged observed the Gray Spectralids on the earth, all living in harmony with one another. Many appeared to be meditating -- in deep thought, Winged imagined. Many were also caring for plant life. In spite of their grand technological achievements, it seemed they still had a deep respect for nature. Winged relaxed, flying through the sky, her first time in doing so in her life. She even closed her eyes at times, though she still remained close to the Spectralid Carrier to make sure she didn't wander off. She felt she could get lost in her enjoyment of this world. For the first time, she felt free.

Rock and Finned watched her through the window.

Rock: She seems to have a certain peace I've never seen on her before.

Finned: Yeah, she does.

 

  * **When I created the characters of Rock, Winged, and Finned, I decided that I would base their emotional arcs on their physical affinities. As Rock's body has a tough exterior, I would center his arc ironically around feeling sensitive and weak. As Winged can fly, I thought it appropriate to center her arc around freedom and ironically enslavement. And for Finned, since her natural habitat is the water more so than land, I thought it best to center her arc around being absent from home and trying to get back.**



 

  * **On that same note, I had designated during the planning that certain chapters would specifically focus on developing each of these three characters. However, in the process of writing, some of the centricity of each may have been lost as I found myself developing other characters as well. Anyway, I knew I wanted the "World of Paradise" chapter to feature Winged as its centric character. (And similarly, my intention was for Part 6: The Misty Bog to center around Finned, and Part 20: Life Lost to center around Rock). Each of these chapters features the Pikmin newbies coming into some sort of emotional milestone.**



 

Light Green looked on at the world as well, though he was more worried about the Shadow Race's inevitable attack. They needed to find the Rift Shard soon and close passageway to this world. Light Green, thinking on Winged's suggestion earlier, held up his sword and used his light energy to manipulate the rift crystal energy. He tried to get some sort of sense of the direction of the Rift Shard's energy.

Light Green felt it in some distant direction. He looked through one of the windows towards that direction. It was somewhere off distant. He wondered how the shard got so far.

Light Green: Tr-Gd, is there something unusual in that direction?

Tr-Gd looked to where Light Green was looking through the window.

Tr-Gd: That's the direction of Spire Fortress, though you can't see it at this great distance.

Spire Fortress. Had the Gray Spectralids already found the Rift Shard and taken it there? As he pondered this, he stopped using his power, as he did not want to use up the rift energy so he could still contact the Pik Group later. He also did not want to use up much of his light energy, of which there was little left. He was still recovering from using much of it in battle previously. He sat down in a seat, tired.

Shadow Ki-Pr examined Light Green carefully. He began to realize that Light Green's power was exhausted. Perhaps he would be able to get away after all. He needed to come up with a plan. He had some knowledge of this world already, and planned to put it to good use.

After an hour had passed, Tr-Gd landed the Spectralid Carrier back down. The group headed back into the fortress. Once in there, Ps-Fl only told Light Green that they would still need to wait for a while, as the Spire Fortress staff was still busy. Meanwhile, Shadow Ki-Pr was up to something.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Hey, Dark Rock, do you want to know how you can get a hold of the Rift Shard quickly?

Dark Rock: Yes. You better tell me!

 

  * **So I've gone most of this chapter without having Dark Rock speak yet, but I couldn't really find anything necessary for him to say until now.**



 

Shadow Ki-Pr then explained to him the directions of a particular room.

Shadow Ki-Pr: In that room is a means to get the Rift Shard and get rid of the Pikmin.

Dark Rock: Hmm, how do you know this?

Shadow Ki-Pr: I know this fortress. My kind has invaded many "Worlds of Paradise" similar to this one.

 

  * **Given the unimaginable number of universes, there are many that are extremely similar to each other. Indeed, there are many universes where the Gray Spectralids' "World of Paradise" is a dominant civilization.**



 

Dark Rock then decided to go. The Pikmin began to notice he was leaving.

Rock: Hey, where are you going? Stop!

Light Green, Rock, Winged, Finned, and Shadow Ki-Pr pursued Dark Rock as he ran through hallways towards the room Shadow Ki-Pr had spoken of. The Shadow entity knew that the young Dark Pikmin would be naive enough to fall for his trick, and soon he would be rid of all the Pikmin. The Pikmin pursued Dark Rock through an old abandoned factory area for weapons, into a room with a large machine press at the ceiling. Shadow Ki-Pr stopped outside the door, shut and locked it, locking the Pikmin in.

Dark Rock: I don't see anything in this room...

Finned turned towards the door and tried to open it.

Finned: Hey! Open up, you!

Light Green looked up at the ceiling and saw the machine press.

Light Green: Oh no.

 

Outside, Shadow Ki-Pr moved to a console.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Heh, stupid hippies thought there was no violence left in this world, they didn't think turn off any of this equipment. That will be their downfall, as it has been in similar worlds.

 

  * **Basically, the Spectralids' failure to militarize themselves for defense leaves them open to attack.**



 

Shadow Ki-Pr pressed buttons and pulled levers on the console.

Shadow Ki-Pr: The technology of this world is quite impressive, as always. Perhaps I can make a case for an unconventional early strike on this world...

He flew away. 

 

  * **Shadow Ki-Pr will reemerge in the next chapter for an early Shadow Race attack.**



 

 

Inside the machine press room, Rock, Winged, Finned, and Dark Rock began to panic as the machine press lowered down closer towards them. Light Green had no energy left in him to stop it. He tried to think fast.

Rock: You have to do something!

Dark Rock: I'm going to die!

The four young Pikmin started yelling for help, though they were in an inactive part of Paradise Fortress and could not be heard. The machine press got closer and closer down towards them. If only there were more Light Pikmin, Light Green thought.

Then an idea suddenly sprang into his mind. He remembered absorbing the essence of a light crystal at the light/dark crystal mines days earlier. He took his sword and aimed it Rock, Winged, and Finned.

Finned: Are you putting us out of our misery?

Light Green ignored her and launched the energy from the light crystal out of his sword at the three Pikmin. They shook in pain for a few moments until three seeds launched from their bodies. The floor was metal, so the seeds would not have ground to grow in. But hopefully, light energy would be enough. Light Green launched more of his little remaining light energy at the three seeds as they fell to floor. Light Green's light energy blended with the light energy of the three seeds, artificially growing them into three newborn Light Pikmin.

 

  * **This is a bit of an odd power we've never seen before from the Light Pikmin, but I realized it was necessary in order to grow the Light Pikmin newborns.**



 

Dark Rock continued to yell at the door and Rock, Winged, and Finned were in too great a state of shock to react to anything going on. Light Green quickly ran over to the three newborn Light Pikmin, and with what light energy he had left, he directed the energies of the three newborns up towards the machine press. A big blast of light energy shot up towards it, causing it to short-circuit and stop.

Dark Rock: I'm alive... I'M ALIVE!

Light Green then launched a jolt of light energy from the three newborns towards the door. Dark Rock screamed and leaped out of the way as the blast of light energy blew the locked door open. Light Green collapsed to the floor, exhausted and with no light energy left.

Rock, Winged, and Finned came out of their shock and carried Light Green out of the room, into the main weapons factory, where they set him to rest upon a bench. They had been followed by Dark Rock, and the three newcomers: Light Rock, Light Winged, and Light Finned.

The three new Light Pikmin had not yet spoken words, and the only one who was really taking notice of them was Dark Rock. He approached them. He had a most ingenious idea, he thought.

Dark Rock: Hey there.

The three were quickly starting to learn to speak, as many Pikmin newborns do.

Light Rock: Hey there!

Light Winged: Hey there!

Light Finned: Hey there!

Dark Rock: You guys can hang out with me. The others are busy. I'm recently newborn, too, like you guys.

Dark Rock had the equivalent of a devilish smile.

 

  * **And this is why I put Dark Rock with Light Green's group for this chapter. This is really the beginning of Dark Rock's arc in this story, as he begins to influence the new Light Pikmin.**



 

Winged left to alert the Paradise Fortress staff, and after a few minutes, she came back with several of them, some with medical aid. They checked the health of the Pikmin as they explained to them what had happened.

Ps-Fl: I am so sorry that this happened. We had ignored this part of the fortress, believing that the world was now full of peace. No one would come in here to cause anyone harm, I had thought. So we never uninstalled the equipment here.

Light Green noticed vats in the room.

Light Green: What are in those, if I may ask?

Ps-Fl: Toxic liquid. Long ago, they were used to make explosives with.

And finally, it hit Light Green how he recognized this fortress.

Light Green: The Dark Pikmin... they used another version of this fortress. They converted it into a massive bomb. It came from another dimension known as the World of Chaos. This entire world is what the World of Chaos was like... before it was decimated.

Dark Rock: It makes sense... Shadow Ki-Pr told me his kind invaded many worlds like this one.

Light Green: Yes... The Shadow Race ruined the World of Paradise. They killed all life, destroyed the lands. They turned it into the World of Chaos. Tell me, Ps-Fl, where did our Spectralid companion go? Shadow Ki-Pr?

 

  * **So now the connection is finally acknowledged and confirmed in the story. This chapter reveals to us what AoO2 and AoO3's "World of Chaos" looked like before it became decimated and dark. And it serves to fill in another blank from the first three stories.**



 

Ps-Fl: We don't know.

Winged, still recovering from the shock of the machine press, incident, hover and rested down on a bench. Finned and Rock sat next to her.

 

  * **Error spotted: "machine press incident" should not have a comma in the middle, and hover should be "hovered". Winged hovered and rested down.**



 

Winged: I have made my first own decision. I am going to stay in this world to live out my life. A life of peace.

Finned and Rock nodded in support, though with sadness as well.

 

  * **I thought this was a good cutoff point, leaving us on the cliffhanger that Winged would stay in this world rather than return to ours, a rather dramatic decision after getting her first feel for freedom. Of course, Winged is a complex character, and this decision ultimately won't hold true in subsequent chapters.**



 

  * **Like "Realm of the Annihilated" and "The Adventures Without Orange", this chapter was so long that I split it into two. Originally a single unified chapter called "World of Paradise" exploring the complete arc of this realm. I think this is a good splitting point, as Part 14: World of Paradise gives us a complete picture of establishing the titular realm and its utopian nature, while Part 15: Paradise Thrown Into Chaos, centers more around the action, drama, and destruction that Shadow Ki-Pr will soon bring.**




	15. Paradise Thrown Into Chaos with Commentary

**Part 15: Paradise Thrown Into Chaos**

 

  * **So here begins the next half of the previous chapter. I thought "Paradise Thrown Into Chaos" was a neat title, referencing the dichotomy between the World of Paradise and the World of Chaos, and how the former slightly begins to transition into the latter in this chapter.**



 

After a few hours, Light Green had recovered a little energy. He held his sword up and contacted Orange, Green, and White through dimensions.

Light Green: How are things?

White: We've gotten our Rift Shard.

Green: I've located the Rift Shard here and am on my way to recovering it.

Orange: We still haven't found ours yet, but we're looking.

Light Green: I think I may know where ours is. We also had a bit of a situation. Shadow Ki-Pr got away, but we have three new companions as well. I don't have much rift energy left to explain too much. What do you know about your worlds?

White: Just what I told you earlier. It's some future generation. Orange is considered a legend here!

Green: Here, it appears that Orange never even existed. There is a war here they're calling the War Between Two Evils.

Orange: In our realm, the Dark Pikmin succeeded in blowing up the Bomb-Fortress.

Light Green: Interesting.

Light Green, taking in all of this information, quickly made a chart out of little waves of light energy to show the others.

 

World A / Green World / Main Realm: N/A / Shard Active  
World B / Red World / Realm of the Annihilated: Orange, Light Blue, Dark Finned / Shard Not Found  
World C / Black World / Realm of Two Evils: Green, Pik Clones / Shard Located  
World D / Brown World / Realm of Legends: White, Dark Winged / Shard Collected  
World E / Gray World / World of Paradise: Light Green, Rock, Winged, Finned, Dark Rock / Shard Probably Located

 

Light Green: Just to help us distinguish.

White: Light Green, try using your light energy to manipulate Dark Rock's dark energy. Dark Winged and I tried something similar to find our shard, and it worked.

Light Green: I will keep that in mind.

The Rift Crystal energy started to fade, and the Pik Group started to flicker away.

Light Green: I'm running out of energy!

And after a moment, the Pik Group's images vanished. Light Green now had no way to contact them again. He would need to figure something out in order to reunite everyone.

 

  * **So this is the last we will see of the interdimensional briefings. Now that we've seen these conversations from all four sides, the context is fully clear.**



 

Light Green's group continued to rest until at last it was midnight. Ps-Fl stated that the Spire Fortress staff was still too busy or resting at various points. Light Green was starting to think that he would just have to go there without permission. Before he could go do that, however, a siren started throughout the fortress. Spectralids rushed into the room in a panic.

Ps-Fl: That Shadow Ki-Pr of yours... He has come back! He killed several of our race.

Light Green: How did he do that?!

Ps-Fl: There were dark... wisps of energy with him.

Light Green: .... He must have gone back to our realm and brought the Shadow Race back with him. Do you have any weapons here?

Ps-Fl: There are a number of old weapons... But we are not trained for combat!

Light Green: It is your only hope! You must defend yourselves! Get whatever you can!

Ps-Fl nodded. The Spectralids of Paradise Fortress gathered and began to grab old weapons from the fortress, especially small swords fit for a Spectralid's use. Light Green headed outside of the fortress with the Spectralids. Large lights had been turned on so the Shadow entities could be spotted in the dark.

Some of the fortress Spectralids started to move survivors inside as more of the Shadow Race entities could be seen attacking Spectralids. They fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain as they died, Spectralid ghosts floating up into the sky. The unsuspecting and peaceful race had been thrown into a horrifying nightmare.

Ps-Fl: How can we kill them?!

Light Green: You'll have to kill them after they've taken possession of bodies.

Ps-Fl: But how do we kill them before that?

Light Green: I'm not sure.

The Spectralids were forced into stabbing and slicing many Shadow Spectralids with their swords, and dark and hazy energies began to float up. Some Spectralids still alive and writhing in pain as they were dying. Some makeshift soldiers started to stab them and kill them before they could be possessed, but this only kept the Shadow Race entities from taking over their bodies. The Shadow Race entities then started to attack the makeshift soldiers.

 

  * **Error spotted: "Some Spectralids still alive and writhing" should be "Some Spectralids were still alive and writhing".**



 

Light Green: You can't kill them while they're still alive! Only once they are truly dead! Then they become integrated and dependent on the body's system!

Some more makeshift soldiers started to surround and await as Shadow Race entities killed and finally took over the previous group of makeshift soldiers. They then killed them quickly before they could start fighting. Light Green, too, was fighting, cutting through Shadow Spectralids.

Still, this couldn't stop the onslaught of Shadow Race entities still yet to possess. Light Green had tried to attack some by launching light energy from a distance, but it didn't kill them. They seemed invulnerable to attack. Going near one would only get yourself killed. How could they be stopped?

Light Green: Get your people in Spectralid Carriers and get them out of here. Nothing but death awaits them here.

Ps-Fl nodded and began to rally other Spectralids to get them to escape. Many of them boarded Spectralid Carriers, which took off. The starry sky was now starting to empty of Spectralid Carriers as they took off away from the Paradise Fortress area. Light Green, Ps-Fl, and others fled into the fortress. The Spectralids locked it down.

Light Green: That won't stop them...

The fortress was full of terror. Panicking could be heard from Spectralid Carriers over the communicators.

Gray Spectralid: ONE GOT ON BOARD WITH US! IT'S HERE! IT'S-

The signal was lost and radars indicated that Carrier had crashed to the ground and exploded.

 

  * **This was probably one of the most frantic chapters of the Adventure of Orange series I had written to date, at the time.**



 

Light Green began to think on what White had told him about using light energy to control dark energy, and got an idea.

 

  * **So one of the useful things to come out of the interdimensional briefings is that certain mythological knowledge about the correlation between light energy and dark energy becomes available to Light Green for use in a new way.**



 

Winged, Finned, Rock, their light Pikmin equivalents, and Dark Rock looked at the dead Spectralid bodies which had been carried in before the fortress was sealed off. Winged looked on them with terrible sadness. This paradise was now turning into a site of death. She left the room.

The three Light Pikmin, although young, still understood that something horrible was going on. They viewed the bodies, looks of trauma on their faces. Dark Rock went over to them with the equivalent of a devilish smile.

Dark Rock: It'll be alright. Once we're away from that Light Pikmin, these poor creatures will be fine. He is the one who has been killing them.

The three looked with sadness.

Light Rock: Why do the others look up to him and respect him?

Dark Rock: They fear him. Light Pikmin control all and take away their ability to choose. They hurt them if they don't do what they say. Like I've been explaining to you all day.

Light Winged: He sounds terrible!

Dark Rock made another equivalent of a smile.

Dark Rock: He is. You're Light Pikmin. You don't want to turn out like him, do you?

They all looked angry.

Light Finned: I'll never be like him!

Dark Rock: Good. Then don't tell him I told you any of this, or he will hurt us all.

 

  * **Dark Rock is beginning his most unique scheme, of turning the young new Light Pikmin against the protagonists. Up until this point in the series, a Light Pikmin against the heroes has been unheard of!**



 

Light Green then arrived in the room and approached them.

Light Green: I need help from all of you. I need to control you three's light energy to bring forth Dark Rock's dark energy. I think that is what will stop these creatures. Well, it's a theory.

Dark Rock nodded. They then began to follow Light Green. While they were following him, Dark Rock gave the Light newcomers a look.

Dark Rock: See what I mean?

The three nodded.

 

  * **So this inadvertently, in the eyes of the newcomers, supports the claim Dark Rock is pushing, that Light Pikmin are abusively controlling.**



 

The three arrived near the entrance of Paradise Fortress, where Shadow entities had already begun to enter through the cracks and possess more Spectralids. Light Green implemented his idea, controlling his light energy to direct the energy within the three newcomers, and with this combined power, controlling and directing the dark energy of Dark Rock. The five's combined attack started to cause Shadow Spectralids to fall dead, as well cause the substances making up the Shadow entities in their original forms to disperse. Dark, hazy, less-corporeal looking energies began to float upward, indicating they had died.

Light Green: It worked! We found a way to kill these things! We need dark energy!

 

  * **So this was an interesting twist I had come up with in the early planning stages of AoOX. Rather than the dark race of entities being susceptible to light energy, they are in fact susceptible to dark energy. Why this is, will become more clear in later chapters as we learn more about the Shadow Race and their homeworld.**



 

  * **The necessity of using the Light Pikmin to control Dark Rock's energy is due to the fact that Dark Pikmin don't possess the capacity to naturally use their energies as Light Pikmin do, and in fact Light Pikmin are so powerful that they can bring out the energy in other Pikmin, as established a couple of chapters ago. This may also relate to White and Dark Winged's theory in Part 13, that electricity within light energy better promotes the energy of the mind, while the destructive dark energy of space hinders its range of use.**



 

Dark Rock looked to the three Light Pikmin newbs.

Dark Rock: You see and feel what he forces upon you, and me. He is teamed with a similarly bad group, the Pik Group. If you help us Dark Pikmin, we will defeat them and bring peaceful order to the world.

The three Light newbs nodded. Dark Rock laughed, as he felt he knew his idea was going to work. For the first time in Light/Dark Pikmin War history, Light Pikmin were going to be turned to the Dark Pikmin's side. Dark Rock thought himself brilliant.

 

**MEANWHILE**

 

Winged had traveled to Paradise Fortress's Destination and used it without authorization to energize herself to Spire Fortress's Destination. She materialized and exited the Destination.

 

  * **So instead of being timid as usual, Winged is now rising to the occasion on her own.**



 

She was on the third floor again, as she had been in the Main Realm. The World of Paradise's Spire Fortress looked much alike. A long, large, white room with tables and computers, statues and imagery of the Gray Spectralids, numerous long screens with wavy green lines, holographic projectors displaying various objects, and the sounds of power humming and computerized sounds.

But this time, there was no sign of damage, and it was lively with Spectralid scientists. There were also no Camera Drones around, but rather cameras appeared to be high up along the walls. A familiar computerized voice was then heard over the speakers.

 

  * **The reason for the change in Camera Drones vs. wall cameras is just to denote another sign of the differences between universes. It was also be acknowledged again in a later chapter, however.**



 

SCU: This Pikmin was not granted authorization to be in Spire Fortress.

The Spectralid scientists then began to surround her.

Gray Spectralid Scientist #1: How did you get to be here?

Winged: Did you know Paradise Fortress is under attack?

Gray Spectralid Scientist #1: Attack?!

A panicked whisper then broke out amongst the scientists.

Winged: I need to speak with the director here! I think I know a way to stop the attack, but I need help! Check with the report about Shadow Ki-Pr to find out what I mean!

Some of the scientists began to contact Paradise Fortress to learn about the on-going attack, and learned about how Shadow Ki-Pr had been determined to be genetically identical to Ki-Pr. Some others took Winged into a room to meet with the fortress's director, Au-Thr. Inside, he was working around a number of whiteboards with complex mathematical equations and scientific formulas written across them. They began to fill him in on the situation.

Au-Thr: Interesting, especially about Ki-Pr. There are doubles from your realm, yes?

Winged: Yes. There was one of you, too.

Au-Thr: Oh? How is he doing?

Winged: He's dead. Killed by the same race that is killing those at Paradise Fortress.

Au-Thr's face turned sour.

 

  * **So this is the first time we've met a living iteration of Au-Thr. We previously saw a hologram of him in Part 3, the iteration of him from our universe.**



 

Au-Thr: Why have you come?

Winged: Because we need help finding something. Something that can prevent the Shadow Race from ruining this world!

And so she proceeded to explain to Au-Thr quickly about their journey through Spire Fortress and through the portal dome, across a number of universes. She explained about the Rift Crystal and its shattering. While she explained these things, Au-Thr drew things on another whiteboard as he calculated in his mind everything she was revealing to him.

Au-Thr: So the time periods for each universe didn't quite match. That makes sense.

Au-Thr drew a few horizontal lines in a row down the whiteboard. One was longer to the left than the rest, and one was shorter to the left than the rest.

Au-Thr: Look at it like that. Let the horizontal lines represent each timeline for each universe. Not all universes began at the same time. Some began sooner than yours, some began later than yours. When crossing through dimensions, the time periods will not all be exactly aligned. The time periods of all the universes are not perfectly synced. Some universes will be more ahead in time, and some will be further behind. So it will already be the year GGEEE in some worlds, but will still not even be GFE yet in others. Do you see what I'm saying?

Winged nodded, understanding.

 

  * **This scene is also kind of an homage to the kinds of scenes in Fringe in which Walter writes something on a board to demonstrate a difficult concept. With respect to this chapter, in hindsight, simply writing out "he drew some lines, some longer or shorter" probably doesn't have the same effect. I think it would have been better if I simply drew out the lines myself with hyphens to show the readers. Something like this:**



**\-------------------**

**\-----------------**

**\-----------**

**Although it would probably require more symbols written to better convey the point of how the timelines begin and sync. The point is, some universes are further along in their history than others, due to the fact that universes come into existence at different points in the overall time of the multiverse.**

 

  * **This effectively explains why the Realm of Legends is in the year 2413, whereas the Main Realm is in the year 2217. This does create one issue, however, which I will explain in one of the later chapters. It pertains to the timing of the Shadow Race's history with our universe and the Realm of Legends.**



 

Au-Thr: Space is tricky. Universes are not spatially connected, except when you force them to connect by vibrating the dark energy. As such, you can create a tear to any point in the space of a universe. And the force of your matter traveling through the energy-forced spatial tear to a foreign space caused you to be catapulted quite a ways from the tear's location in this world. The Rift Shards, being smaller and tied to more electrical and dark energetic force, would be catapulted even farther.

Winged nodded, understanding, and wondering where this was going.

Au-Thr: You said that your friend, the Light Green one, was able to use his "light energy" to manipulate the rift energy to communicate with other worlds, yes?

Winged: Yes.

Au-Thr: Interesting. Tell me more about the biology of Light and Dark Pikmin.

So she explained to him, and he wrote more things down on the whiteboard.

Au-Thr: I think Level 2 will find this interesting. It could be that there is something of electric energy in the light crystals, hence why it is able to manipulate the Rift Crystal energy like the portal dome's electric energy was able to. Not of the lethal composition that only Yellow Pikmin can survive, mind you.

Winged nodded, though was confused as to how any of this was relevant.

Au-Thr: What you said about dark crystals was intriguing as well. You said one of the Shadow Race said their universe is sensitive to dark energy? That permeates throughout all of space. Perhaps something of that is in the dark crystals as well. Might could be useful to defeating the Shadow Race, if they are so sensitive to it. You really need a powerful surge of electricity through the right mechanism to vibrate the dark energy though. Something for Levels 2 and 3 to cross-investigate, I think...

 

  * **Au-Thr's rambling ultimately serves to offer the readers sci-fi technobabble to explain AoOX's mythological questions.**



 

  * **As mentioned in Part 7, Level 2 of Spire Fortress studies life, while Level 3 studies inanimate forces.**



 

Winged: So do you have a solution to defeat them?

Au-Thr: I'm afraid not!

Winged: Then do you have any way to find the Rift Shard?

Au-Thr: Oh, we already did, once it first landed here. We detected it as an electrical anomaly immediately and took it to Spire Fortress. We've been studying it here ever since.

Winged: Then... why aren't you giving it to me?

 

  * **Something I'll go ahead and mention since I'm reminded of it, is that I had intended Winged to not really use conjunctions like "aren't", but I had a tendency to forget this often in writing her dialogue. There are some earlier and later instances of it in this story as well that I won't bother to mention. So her speech may seem a little odd at times, she is more lengthily articulate in some sentences, but uses conjunctions in other sentences.**



 

Au-Thr: I can't!

Winged: Why not?!

Au-Thr: It's just exciting, studying it!

Winged: THERE IS NO TIME!

Au-Thr was startled, and Winged had startled herself as well.

Winged: You scientists spend so much time in this fortress, you've forgotten the world of paradise you've built out there! You disregard life so that you can work on your technologies more! You have lost the humility of those at Paradise Fortress and replaced it with hubris!

Au-Thr was shocked as he thought over what she was saying.

Winged: If you keep at this, the Shadow Race will take over here, just as they did at our world's Spire Fortress! You think you are so free, to arrogantly cross into others' realms without any repercussions! You must learn respect for life and the world! You must, or you will lose your freedom!

 

  * **Winged, I think, in a lot of ways, was the most natural protagonist to bring the Spectralids to their senses. She is the most intelligent in following their scientific goobledegook, as well as the wisest in understanding the principles of freedom and peace. So Winged lays the knowledge on these Spectralids that the ones from previous universes failed to possess.**



 

Au-Thr thought this over for a few moments.

Au-Thr: Yes... You are quite right.

Winged: Now... do you have any ideas?

Au-Thr began to think things over.

Au-Thr: You stated that Light Green and a Shadow entity fought over the Rift Crystal. Light Green tried to destroy it with his energy, but the Shadow entity held onto it. So it shattered instead. The entity held onto a shard on the rod, and due to the entity's own energy-like form, was able to stabilize an invisible electrical electrical and dark energetic connection to its own universe, keeping the dark energy vibration and spatial tear sustained to that world.

 

  * **Error spotted: that should just be "invisible electrical" with the latter word used only once.**



 

Au-Thr began to write on another whiteboard as he thought things over. This time, Winged felt he really was going somewhere with this.

Au-Thr: The other shards moved through the portal and landed in other universes. No longer intact, the power of the Rift Crystal could not sustain a portal throughout an indefinite number of universes. Only the select few... the one the Shadow entity had stabilized, and the ones the shards landed in. These shards also sustained an invisible electrical and dark energetic connection to to the spatial tear, keeping the portal open to the worlds they landed in.

Au-Thr continued to write on the whiteboard.

Au-Thr: And some light energy that your friend kept stored in his sword was able to sustain some of the Rift Crystal's own energy within the sword, allowing him to use the light energy to manipulate the Rift Crystal's energy into creating very faint tears to other universes, allowing him to communicate with your separated friends briefly.

Au-Thr continued to write, but Winged was confused.

Winged: But how was he able to do that? How are the scattered shards still sustaining a connection to the portal? I thought what made the Rift Crystal unique for dimensional travel was that it had the right shape to surge electrical energy through specific angles at specific frequencies?

Au-Thr leaned closer to her and whispered.

Au-Thr: That is not actually true.

Winged: It's not?

Au-Thr: No. There is something more that makes the Rift Crystal what it is. I and a few others agreed to never speak of it or speak of the Crystal's origins when we received it. They are not even on SCU's records.

Winged: Can you tell me?

Au-Thr: Well, SCU can hear us through his audio receptors along the walls, so I'm afraid not. I'm whispering so other scientists outside won't hear. But I now have an idea of what we can do. Come with me.

 

  * **The nature of the Rift Crystal's power becomes an established mystery from this point on, incredibly significant to the last batch of chapters.**



 

So Winged followed Au-Thr outside and through the hall.

Au-Thr: You are presently on Spire Fortress's third level - for Study and Development in Inanimate Nature - such as in physics, computers, earth, and outer space.

Winged: But computers aren't apart of nature. They're created by sentient beings!

Au-Thr: Yes, well, that's a bit of a minor categorical error we've yet to rectify. The point is, the third level studies non-life. And here, we have been studying the Rift Shard, which I am about to show you. And then I will tell you my idea to resolve our Shadow Race problem.

Winged followed him into another room.

 

**BACK AT PARADISE FORTRESS**

 

Action raged on as more Spectralids and Shadow entities fell in battle. The Shadow entities had taken over some Spectralids and unlocked passageway for those outside into the fortress. The Pikmin and Spectralids had fled deeper into the fortress, but Light Green was finding that his technique was highly effective in killing the Shadow entities. It seemed that he was starting to turn things back in favor of the Pikmin and Spectralids. Unbeknownst to him, however, the Shadow entities were about to potentially turn things back to their own favor again.

Tr-Gd: They have activated the corks...

Ps-Fl: The "Ball of Death"? Oh no.

Light Green: Oh no is right. We _have_ to stop that thing now or it will kill us all!

 

  * **They are referencing the force of power that killed Red, which was reintroduced in the previous chapter.**



 

  * **Something I didn't really acknowledge during the crisis at Paradise Fortress was the whereabouts of Rock and Finned. I felt they didn't have anything significant to contribute here, and for the brevity of time, I didn't mention them. But presumably they are with some Spectralids hiding in some deep part of the fortress. Either that or they're fighting the Shadow-possessed creatures carefully.**



 

Light Green led a small band of fighters. On the way there, Shadow Spectralids had started to launch objects at the glass ceilings of each room, causing them to shatter, causing sharp shards to fall. Light Green's group attempted to dodge, though some got badly cut, as did some enemies. This repeated a few more times as they went through rooms until at last they arrived.

There it was, a fiery and electrical ball growing rapidly in size, two "cork"-like objects situated at its top and bottom.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Let's see you survive this!

He cackled. Light Green turned to the others.

Light Green: This thing was responsible for killing one of our Pik Group's chief members, Red. He sacrificed himself to pull the top cork out. We have to take care of this now before sacrifice becomes necessary.

The others nodded and began to attack Shadow Spectralids in the room. Light Green ran and threw his light sword upwards, knocking the bottom cork out of its situated spot. But a powerful growing orb had already been stabilized. Two were needed to stabilize, but only one was needed to keep it growing.

And so the fiery electrical ball continued to grow. The Light Pikmin retrieved his sword. The large ball began to destroy massive machinery in the room, causing large and tall chunks of machine to go flying through the room. Light Green barely dodged. A few ally and a few enemy combatants were not so fortunate.

Light Green looked up, wondering how he could get to the top now. And so he turned to see Shadow Ki-Pr near by. Light Green, getting yet another good idea, ran towards Shadow Ki-Pr and slashed his sword through his still-recovering left wing as he had done atop Spire Fortress, causing the Shadow Spectralid to fall to the floor, yelling. He then looked at him angrily.

Shadow Ki-Pr: I will make you pay for that, Light Pikmin!

Light Green: Why don't you try with a badly injured wing?

Light Green tauntingly ran, and Shadow Ki-Pr struggled to hover up and pursue. Light Green climbed up tall chunks of scattered mechanical debris, some of which were ablaze. Light Green avoided the fires as he continued to climb up safe spots. Eventually, he got in range of the top cork.

The ball of energy was continuing to grow, and there wasn't much time left. From this angle, Light Green's sword would be too narrow to get an effective hit on the top cork. But he had no intention of using his sword to begin with. Shadow Ki-Pr struggled, and at last, hovered over to him. Light Green continued to balance on the unstable chunk of machine debris as fire crept up it.

Shadow Ki-Pr: Now you will face death, Pikmin.

Light Green: Do you want to face death? Then face it yourself.

 

  * **Light Green's line here was a little silly. I think I vaguely remember that I had something more cohesive intended, but I had forgotten upon arriving to this scene, so I just contrived this comment here.**



 

Light Green, barely balancing, sliced his sword through both of Shadow Ki-Pr's wings. The Shadow Spectralid yelled terribly as Light Green caught his wingless body. Light Green then, still barely balancing, swung Shadow Ki-Pr upwards. The swing caused Light Green's own body to leap off of the tall chunk of debris and he fell towards the floor. Simultaneously, Shadow Ki-Pr's body smacked into the top cork. A fine hit.

 

  * **Despite the lame line of dialogue I wrote above, I am more satisfied with how I wrote these descriptions. "A fine hit" is a fine statement.**



 

The cork went flying out of its situated place, as did Shadow Ki-Pr's body. The "Ball of Death" suddenly destabilized and began to dissipate in a bright shine of light. The blast of bright energy burned through much of the already stacked and blazing debris, caused the room's walls to collapse and the glass ceiling to shatter to pieces which rained down.

 

  * **I always liked the spectacle of this moment and thought it would be interesting if it could be conveyed visually.**



 

  * **The destructive dissipation of the Ball of Death was something that also occurred in the climax of AoO2, though not so spectacularly described.**



 

After the rain of destruction had calmed down, Spectralids entered the room extinguishing the fires and rescuing survivors. Light Green found Shadow Ki-Pr on the floor, bleeding to death, barely alive.

Light Green: Your kind... it possessed worlds like this, didn't it?

Shadow Ki-Pr: Y... *blood cough* es. There are so many similar universes. We plunged a number of Worlds of Paradise into Worlds of Chaos. Because arrogant Spectralids crossed to our world... and... harmed us.

Light Green: Harmed you?

But the Shadow Spectralid did not have the life or focus left in him to elaborate.

 

  * **So here we have a bit of an interesting new angle and twist. Did the Spectralids do something to harm the Shadow Race? This is a crucial point that will be elaborated on more in later chapters. It's also the first time we really see that the Shadow Race may have more motives beyond just aimless chaos.**



 

Shadow Ki-Pr: One day, we will get this one, too. And yours.

The Shadow Spectralid gave the equivalent of a smile.

Light Green: I won't allow that to happen.

Shadow Ki-Pr then died, the haunting and bloodied equivalent of a smile on his face still. A dark, hazy wave floated from his body.

 

  * **I always liked his dying moment here, one of the genuinely eerie things I think I wrote here. Also, it marks the end of the first major antagonist of this story. Introduced back in Part 6, Shadow Ki-Pr has been the face of the Shadow Race for us for a while.**



 

 

Light Green then joined in aiding the surviving Gray Spectralids. In a couple of hours, with the use of the technique involving the three Light Pikmin newborns and Dark Rock, Light Green and the Gray Spectralids were at last able to secure victory. But it felt like a hollow victory for the Gray Spectralids, as they observed the death and destruction around them in devastation.

 

  * **In my original outlines, Light Green would have retrieved the Rift Crystal after killing Shadow Ki-Pr. However, as I got into the organization of details with the World of Paradise/Paradise Thrown Into Chaos chapter, I realized I preferred the twist of the benevolent Spire Fortress Spectralids getting a hold of it, which would be cause for Winged and Au-Thr to argue as well.**



 

Light Green, Finned, Rock, Dark Rock, and the Light Pikmin newbs had reunited, and were met by Ps-Fl, who had tears in his eyes.

Ps-Fl: We... we received word. You have been requested at Spire Fortress. Use the Destination. It managed to survive.

Light Green nodded. His group headed to the Destination and energized into Spire Fortress. Once there, they were taken to the room where Winged and Au-Thr were.

Winged: Hello.

Finned: Where have you been? We were worried about you! Things got awful at Paradise Fortress.

Winged: I apologize. I needed to come here to ensure that things would be set right here. I have decided to stay with you so I can help you save the world, or worlds. I realized that my freedom here is not worth the worlds losing their freedom. Not our world, not this world, or any others.

Finned and Rock nodded, glad that she would be staying with them.

 

  * **So we've now marked a major transformation in Winged throughout these past two chapters.**



 

The Pikmin greeted Au-Thr.

Au-Thr: Winged came to visit me during the battle and helped me to realize that we have been blind, blind to the repercussions of our actions here at the fortress.

Au-Thr showed them the Rift Shard.

Au-Thr: We have held this here. It is sustaining the portal into this world, allowing the Shadow Race entry, as it did this past evening. We must get the portal closed, and this Rift Shard is the key to that.

Light Green nodded, reaching out to take it. But Au-Thr did not give it to him.

Au-Thr: Winged and I came to a consensus on the best way to deal with this situation. And this is what we must do...

The Pikmin watched as Au-Thr set it on a table under a machine. He then activated the machine, and it surged energy at the Rift Shard... until it disintegrated.

Au-Thr: The Rift Shard is now destroyed. The portal to this universe is now closed.

The Pikmin were stunned.

Light Green: But now there is no way to get back to our world! We're trapped in this universe!

 

  * **BOOM. End of chapter. I always thought this was a great cliffhanger. Of course, this story never really had an audience, so I don't know how effective this cliffhanger would have been for anyone else besides me.**



 

  * **This cliffhanger was not actually in the beginning stages of writing this story. Rather, this was going to be a fleeting shock moment before Au-Thr immediately provided his Portal Device solution. However, as I got closer to working on this chapter, I realized that this cliffhanger was a better idea, and that the Portal Device scene should be left for the next chapter.**  



 

  * **Here ends the World of Paradise 2-part arc. We've spent the past several chapters exploring several worlds, and now it's time for the actual plot to start to come together.**




	16. Rifts Between Realms with Commentary

**Part 16: Rifts Between Realms**

 

  * **This is a pretty self-explanatory title that I thought just had a nice ring to it. The characters will start using a device that briefly rifts them through to other universes, reuniting the cast. The title could also signify how forces indigenous to various universes, such as the Cloaked Figure and Dark Green, are starting to come together as well**



 

Light Green, Rock, Finned, Dark Rock, Light Rock, Light Winged, and Light Finned stood in disbelief. Their way to escape the World of Paradise had just been cut off permanently! Winged and Au-Thr's expressions were unchanged, however. They had already devised a solution to this issue.

Winged: We can still get back.

Au-Thr: We already worked this out. Come with me.

So the group followed Au-Thr out of the room and through Spire Fortress.

 

**REALM OF TWO EVILS**

 

The ten Pik Clones had traveled for hours during the night, seeing as Pikmin and Pikavores all around celebrated the defeat of the Dark Pikmin.

Commander Alpha: Do these fools not know that the Cloaked Figure is still at large?

He shook his head. Eventually, the Pik Clones happened to notice Green sleeping up in the branches of a tree. They formed a stack, with Commander Alpha on top, and used their combined force to pull the branch down, causing Green to slide. Green quickly awoke and leaped from the branch onto the ground. The loss of Green's weight caused the branch to fling up and the Pik Clones to fly everywhere across the ground.

Commander Alpha: Oof... You!

 

  * **I'm amused by the occasional visuals of little slapstick moments like this.**



 

The Pik Clones got up and surrounded a very tired Green.

Commander Alpha: You! You were disloyal to your own group, joining with the Cloaked Figure!

Green: I had no intention of ever staying with the Cloaked Figure. I only said what I needed to to get this shard back. And now it's time for us to reunite with those from our world.

Commander Alpha: Not before we aid the Dark Pikmin here in this crisis...

Green: Alpha, these Dark Pikmin look like yours. But just as you clones are not who you look like, the Dark Pikmin of this world are also not the same. Your loyalty is only to Dark Rock, Dark Winged, and Dark Finned. If you were to serve the Dark Pikmin here, that would be disloyalty. You should serve no others than your true masters. You will be disloyal to them in serving others.

Commander Alpha looked down, pondering this thought.

Green: I understand the temptation to think of them as yours. I even saw my old friends in the Pikmin I was just with. But... I knew they were not the same. I did help them, but only as I recognized them as new friends in their own right. A different set of loyalty.

Commander Alpha: It is true... After what we witnessed in Dark Green, especially.

He looked to the other Pik Clones, who all nodded.

Commander Alpha: His path never crossed with the other Dark Pikmin, and so he did not feel he owed his allegiance to them. Our paths never crossed with them, either.

Commander Alpha looked down for a moment in silence.

Green: You clones are not machines built to a rigid and flawed perception of loyalty. You may have machines on your heads to influence you towards the Dark Pikmin. But you are Pikmin with some degree of rational thought and free will. Think of the true masters who you bred into the world to follow.

Commander Alpha looked up and nodded.

Commander Alpha: Perhaps you are right.

Green nodded.

Commander Alpha: We must learn to improve on our misguided ideas of loyalty.

The other Pik Clones nodded.

Green: Now, we should rest and recover our strength, and then tomorrow try to find a way to reunite with those we belong with.

The Pik Clones nodded. As the group began to climb up the tree into the branches, Commander Alpha had one last thing to say.

Commander Alpha: You, too, should also learn to improve on your own misguided ideas of loyalty. What if your leader, Orange, did something you're against? Such as go out of his way to interfere in the affairs of other, unknown worlds beyond necessity? Consider that.

Green simply shook his head at Commander Alpha's statement. But in his mind, he was indeed thinking on what the Pik Clone had just said as he fell back to sleep...

 

  * **This scene with Green and the Pik Clones had originally been written as the ending to the Realm of Two Evils chapter. That chapter became so long that even after I split it into two chapters, the second chapter still exceeded my preferred limit of pages for a typical chapter. So I shifted this end meeting between Green and the Pik Clones over to Part 16: Rifts Between Realms. I think it fits nicely enough here, as we cover what's happening with each of the characters in each universe before they begin to reunite.**



 

  * **So ultimately, the journey through the Realm of Two Evils has been a test of the meaning of loyalty for both Green and Commander Alpha. And this will play significantly in their decisions later when loyalty is challenged in a couple of chapters.**



 

  * **Looking back on this scene, I realize I didn't really justify why Green and the Pik Clones went from somewhat fighting at the start to deciding to join together and rest. But, I suppose the Pik Clones had always intended to keep Green as a captive anyway, and Green likely realizes that it's no use to try to escape when he's exhausted from all the recent adventuring.**



 

  * **On that note, I had written out the timeline of how events would occur during these parallel universe chapters. I remember noticing that Green had spent an awful lot of time without rest, so I thought he should get some sleep finally.**



 

  * **Here is the timeline I had written. "Zero Hour" signifies the moment from whence the characters first arrive in the parallel universe through the portal.**



 

**(Realm of the Annihilated: Orange, Light Blue, and Dark Finned)**

**2 AM: Zero Hour**  
9 AM: Orange wakes up  
10 AM: Find hospice camp  
11 AM: Explosion site  
12 PM: Dark Pikmin catch group  
1 PM: Orange and Light Blue get away  
9 PM: Orange reunites with Pik Group

 

**(Realm of Two Evils: Green and the Pik Clones)**

  
6 AM: Zero Hour  
11 AM: Green meets Pik Group  
12 PM: Green meets Cloaked Figure  
2 PM: Green Team out of the forest  
6 PM: Pik Clones break out  
7 PM: Green Team at Dark Pikmin's base  
8 PM: Dark Pikmin defeated  
12 AM: Green reunites with Pik Clones  
1 AM: Green reunites with Pik Group

 

**(Realm of Legends: White and Dark Winged)**

  
6 AM: Zero Hour  
9 AM: White in the library  
10 AM: White's first communication with Light Green  
11 AM: White hijacks the plane  
1 PM: White finds the shard amidst the conflict  
3 PM: White's second communication with Light Green  
1 AM: White reunites with Pik Group

 

 **(World of Paradise: Light Green, Winged, Rock, Finned, and Dark Rock)**  
  
9 AM: Zero Hour  
1 PM: Light Green arrives at Paradise Fortress  
2 PM: Light Green in the Spectralid Carrier  
3 PM: Light Green under the machine press  
6 PM: Light Green's second communication  
12 AM: Light Green and Paradise Fortress attacked  
3 AM: Light Green goes to Spire Fortress

 

 **(Collective Timeline of All Groups in Each Universe)**  
  
Zero Hour: Everyone arrives  
First Hour:   
Second Hour:   
Third Hour: White in the library  
Fourth Hour: Light Green's first communication, Light Green at Paradise Fortress, Orange woken up  
Fifth Hour: Green meets Pik Group, Light Green in the Spectralid Carrier, White hijacks the plane  
Sixth Hour: Green meets Cloaked Figure, Light Green under the machine press  
Seventh Hour: Orange wakes up, White in the conflict  
Eighth Hour: Green out of forest, Orange finds hospice camp  
Ninth Hour: Orange at explosion site, Light Green's second communication  
Tenth Hour: Orange caught by Dark Pikmin  
Eleventh Hour: Orange and Light Blue get away  
Twelfth Hour: Pik Clones break out  
Thirteenth Hour: Green at base  
Fourteenth Hour: Green destroys World Blaster  
Fifteenth Hour: Light Green and Paradise Fortress attacked, Green rests  
Sixteenth Hour:   
Seventeenth Hour:   
Eighteenth Hour: Light Green goes to Spire Fortress, Green reunites with Pik Clones, they rest  
Nineteenth Hour: Light Green begins to travel through worlds

 

 

 

**MEANWHILE**

 

Cloaked Figure: Ah! There it is, at last!

In the midst of the forest was a ripple in the air that looked like a tunnel, a pool of images inside. A snowy forest, a normal forest, a dark image, and at last, a white room. It was the portal between the realms.

 

  * **The images represent where the portals are opened in the other universes, in the Realm of the Annihilated, the Realm of Legends, the Shadow Realm, and Spire Fortress in the Main Realm.**



 

Cloaked Figure: The Green Pikmin said the force of the portal catapulted them a long distance. So I shall use my powers to decrease our momentum as we travel through.

Shadow Snitchbug: Master, we have received a report that the Minion was captured.

Cloaked Figure: A pity, he'll have to be left here until we come back. The first thing we are going to do is merge our forces with the Shadow Race from that Green Pikmin's realm. Follow me to the white room.

The Cloaked Figure journeyed into the portal, and his Shadow army followed, taking turns going through.

 

  * **This marks a significant turning point in the plot, as the Cloaked Figure will be causing enormous chaos in later chapters.**



 

 

**REALM OF LEGENDS**

 

It was night, and White and Dark Winged were in a jail cell in Sprout Town for having stolen the plane earlier. White's did not have enough ability to use his light energy to break out. The two had sat for a while, sleeping at times, as they waited to think of a solution.

 

  * **Another error spotted! I'm actually not entirely sure what that sentence was supposed to be. Probably something along the lines of, "White did not have enough light energy charged to use to break out."**



 

Dark Winged: So, any bright ideas now?

White: Hey, I'm just saying, you followed me into this. You got the keys when I told you to.

 

  * **I like the idea that they were suddenly caught and thrown in jail off-screen, without us seeing it happen. It's more efficient and results in this unexpectedly amusing situation.**



 

Dark Winged: Well, I was following your lead.

White: I thought we agreed neither of us would lead.

Dark Winged sighed.

Dark Winged: Well, you just seem to have some natural quality for leadership about you. Though you hold it back and let others lead you.

White thought on this but didn't say anything.

Dark Winged: So, any ideas? I'm following your lead for now.

White: Still none.

Dark Winged: This sort of thing makes me wish we were in a universe controlled by the Dark Pikmin.

White shook his head.

Dark Winged: Well... You said Orange once tried to get the Dark Pikmin to be friends with them?

White: It was a desperate last resort... Unrealistic. We learned from an entity called the One of Sorrow that the Light and Dark Pikmin were friends in the beginning. But after so many generations, there was just no hope of that ever happening again. And we were so war-torn that we even killed the One of Sorrow before we realized what we were doing.

 

  * **This is a nice comment back on AoO3. That story was rather gloomy if you think about it, as I noted in a previous chapter commentary. It ultimately portrays the succumbing to the destructive cycle. Perhaps, then, AoOX can portray the redemption from that cycle.**



 

Dark Winged thought on this.

Dark Winged: Well, promise me something...

White: What?

Dark Winged: When we get back to our world, and all of this is settled, let's make this a reality. Let's make our world the one where Light and Dark Pikmin can coexist peacefully.

 

  * **I had actually thought of the possibility of visiting a universe in which Dark Orange agrees to Orange's proposal at the end of AoO3, and consequently the Dark Pikmin coexist peacefully with the rest of the Pikmin. But ultimately, I thought it would be too out of the way to show such a universe, after having already covered a good number of scenarios with the four universes as is. So I decided, then, that, the Coexisting Universe would be a theoretical ideal that our protagonists must continue to strive towards for our universe.**



 

White nodded with the equivalent of a smile.

White: Alright, I promise.

Dark Winged: I promise too.

Dark Winged also made the equivalent of a smile.

 

  * **White and Dark Winged grow another step in their friendship, which will symbolize that very ideal coming into fruition.**



 

 

**REALM OF THE ANNIHILATED**

 

Orange and Light Blue ran through the snow in the night, as a bright light shone on them from the front of the Dark Pikmin's flying vehicle which was hot in pursuit. Dark Yellow lowered the flying vehicle more and more with the hope of eventually squashing the two.

 

  * **Here, it's meant to be presumed that Orange and Light Blue were discovered by the Dark Pikmin at some point off-screen since their last chapter, hence the current pursuit. It fits the quicker pacing of this chapter.**



 

Dark Orange: Just don't get that Rift Shard buried in the snow.

Orange and Light Blue began to realize what Dark Yellow was doing. They eventually turned and ran between a group of mounds. The flying vehicle scraped across them and eventually crash-landed onto a flat surface, skidding slightly.

Orange: It worked! Let's go!

 

  * **They had intentionally run between the mounds in a trap to wreck the Dark Pikmin's aircraft, though I perhaps could have explained that more clearly.**



 

He and Light Blue continued to run. Inside, Dark Orange was furious and was yelling at Dark Yellow as he tried to lift it off again, to no avail.

Dark Orange: Idiot! We're stuck here!

Dark Yellow: Calm down. All we need to do is check some of the mechanics and wiring, make a few repairs. We can contact assistance if we must, our communicator is still working.

Dark Brown: Right. Dark Yellow and I will get to work on that. Meanwhile, we should send Dark Finned and Dark Green after them.

Dark Orange: I've got no time to wait on those two idiots.

Dark Orange headed out of the room to leave through an emergency hatch so he could pursue Orange himself. Dark Green and Dark Finned both looked offended.

Dark Brown: Go anyway.

Dark Green and Dark Finned left in pursuit and annoyance.

 

  * **Dark Finned and Dark Green's division from the rest of the group is continuing to boil the more they mistreat them.**



 

**WORLD OF PARADISE**

 

Au-Thr took the Pik Group up the elevator to the top of the spire. The room looked much as it did in the Main Realm, except there was no Portal Dome. Instead, there was a table with a device.

Au-Thr: This is how you will return to your world.

One end of the device had a square compartment. The other end had a more circular slot.

Au-Thr: In this realm, we did not create a Portal Dome. Instead, we worked on this Portal Device. Much smaller than what your realm has. Portable. It surges electrical energy to vibrate dark energy in a short surrounding sphere, a rift between universes. You insert your hand through this circular slot and press the triggers inside. Of course, it can't be used too frequently, as it will eventually need a recharge of electricity. But it stores quite a lot, enough to also counterbalance the force of travel to keep you situated in place.

 

  * **This was an idea I had had early on in the initial planning of this story, that the World of Paradise would have a different variation of the portal-opener. I thought this was an interesting way to further pronounce how little things can be different across different universes. Additionally, it's convenient for the plot!**



 

Light Green nodded.

Light Green: But don't you need something like a Rift Shard to channel the electricity?

Au-Thr: Indeed.

Au-Thr motioned for another Gray Spectralid to come near them. The Pikmin recognized it as this world's Ki-Pr. He was carrying some sort of safe. He set it on the table, entered a combination, opened it, and took out... a Rift Crystal.

Rock: Oh, there's another one?

Au-Thr: In this realm, yes.

Ki-Pr handed Au-Thr the Rift Crystal. He then turned to the Pikmin.

Ki-Pr: So you guys met some bizarro evil parallel universe version of me, huh?

Finned: Something like that.

Ki-Pr: Neat.

Winged: ...Until he destroys your world.

Ki-Pr: ...That isn't so neat.

Au-Thr inserted the Rift Crystal into the square compartment and closed it. He then picked up the Portal Device.

Au-Thr: I will give this to you to reunite your group and return to your original realm. But only if you give me your word. Winged says you are trustworthy and reliable. So tell me, are you?

Light Green nodded.

Light Green: Yes, I am.

Au-Thr: Then give me your word that once you have returned to your realm with your group together, you will destroy this immediately. You will not use it for any further purposes, not even to stop the Shadow Race that has invaded your world. The very moment you return, you must destroy it, so that rifts will never be made again, so that realms will not fall into further war and destruction.

Light Green thought this over carefully.

Au-Thr: Do you give me your word?

Light Green: Yes. You have my word it will be destroyed immediately.

 

  * **This will be significant as to why Light Green must ultimately side against Orange later in Part 18, despite having been previously allied in the previous group division in Part 5.**



 

Au-Thr made the equivalent of a smile.

Light Green: But even after we do this and destroy the Rift Shards we have, there will still be one opening a portal between our world and the Shadow Race's. The top of the spire in our realm must have countless Shadow entities by now. Security drones, too. How will we seal the portal?

Au-Thr nodded over to another Gray Spectralid to bring some papers.

Au-Thr: This is Inj-Nr, Spire Fortress's head engineer.

Inj-Nr laid the papers out on the table, showing the blueprints for Spire Fortress. The Pikmin studied it carefully.

Au-Thr: Since the portal will be using the fortress's electricity to power it, you must cut off the power. That will seal the portal.

Inj-Nr: The power generators are on Level B2, beneath the first floor. There are no elevators to the basement levels. You will need to take one of the special hatches to get there. Once there, you must disable the power generator's security before going to the generators themselves. It is impossible to bypass. You will die if you do not.

Au-Thr: In their realm, SCU has been reprogrammed and cannot be relied upon to disable the security drone.

Inj-Nr pointed to some shafts between Levels B1 and B2.

Inj-Nr: Then you must go there and find the emergency deactivation compartment. There, you will have dozens of choices of colored switches to choose from. Press the wrong switch, and you will send a signal to a security explosive that will kill you. Press the right switch, and you send a signal that automatically shuts down the security drone.

Finned: What is the color?

Inj-Nr: I chose blue, for it reminded me of a beautiful pond I once lived near.

Au-Thr: You must be careful of SCU. He is very clever. Isn't that right, SCU?

His voice was then heard on the speakers.

SCU: Yes. It is in my programming to do and say whatever is necessary to keep you from the power generators. I may attempt to mislead you with false or true information. I may attempt to get emotional reactions from you.

Au-Thr: Lastly, I have a word of advice. If your Gray Spectralids were like ours, then they may have long ago created a weapon called the Spectralid Saver on what is now known as Adventure Island. It is being held in an old base there. It may appear as a ruins now.

Light Green recognized this as the World Blaster which the Dark Pikmin had attempted to use during the Pik Group's first adventure. Light Green himself had not yet joined the group when that adventure occurred, but he had heard the story.

Light Green: Yes, I believe our Pik Group, in fact, destroyed that years ago.

Au-Thr: Well, it is not the only one, just the only one that was made publicly known. It was made as a failsafe in case our lands became dominated by our enemies. I was assured that it had been disabled, but soon after I began work in developing SCU and the drones in Spire Fortress, I was informed that there were many more hidden across the lands beneath the earth in secret. Such a powerful weapon of destruction could decimate our world, I realized. We had not earned responsibility over such power. This was one of the triggers in prompting me to move Spire Fortress towards pacifism and scientific discovery rather than military.

Light Green: Do you know where the other Spectralid Savers are?

Au-Thr: I only know where the Salvation Hub is, which can activate and control all the Savers everywhere. You would be well-advised to find it before the Shadow Race does. If they have invaded other worlds, they may have already learned of it. You are at risk.

Light Green: Where is it located?

Au-Thr pulled a map across the table of the World of Paradise. He pointed to its location on the map and described more specifics.

Light Green: Good... that is in the territory of our allies. Getting it should be no problem.

 

  * **The idea for this moment, touching on the origins of the World Blaster, was not originally in the chapter outlines. I believe at some point between Parts 8 and 12, I got the idea to tie the World Blasters' origin in with the Gray Spectralids, giving mythological context to AoO1's world blaster plot, as I had already planned to explain the mythology of the World of Chaos from AoO2 and AoO3 through these chapters. The Realm of Two Evils chapters also helped to effectively set up a reminder of the power of the World Blaster, which would serve as a lead-up to its reemergence as a major plot device in the last few chapters of AoOX.**



 

Au-Thr nodded and then handed Light Green the Portal Device.

Au-Thr: You will all want to stand with him and away from anything you don't wish to take with you.

Rock, Winged, Finned, Light Rock, Light Winged, Light Finned, and Dark Rock all huddled up against Light Green as he moved towards an empty spot in the room, inserted his hand in the circular slot, and felt the triggers.

Au-Thr: One more thing... the Portal Device is a prototype, and is unstable and risky. You will need to be careful in using it.

Light Green: Understood. ...Are there any other Rift Crystals in the world that we should destroy?

Au-Thr: I expect there should only be one Rift Crystal in your world, as is the case in ours, given what we know of its origins.

Light Green: What are its origins?

Au-Thr: I'm afraid this is the limit of information I can divulge. You must go now. Find your friends. Return to your home. Save your world.

 

  * **At the time I had written this chapter, I do not believe I had actually worked out the origins of the Rift Crystal yet. I knew there had to be some significant reason why there was only one. For a time, I considered that maybe the Rift Crystal was somehow a natural product of the dimensional physics of the universe, though I later dropped this notion in favor of the Rift Crystal as having been designed by an ancient race.**



 

Light Green nodded.

Au-Thr: Also, Winged... Thank you for helping me to see reason again.

Winged gave the equivalent of a smile as a "You're welcome".

Au-Thr: Good luck, Pikmin.

 

  * **In my original chapter outlines, this whole scene of Au-Thr giving the Portal Device to the Pikmin was actually intended to have been written for the ending of the World of Paradise/Paradise Thrown Into Chaos chapter. However, at some point, I decided I preferred the idea of ending that chapter on the cliffhanger of Au-Thr destroying the Rift Shard, which was originally intended to just be a fleeting "shock moment" before he immediately explained his plan to get them back.**



 

Light Green focused on the spirit of White, pressed the triggers, and...

 

 **FLASH**  

 

  * **Originally, I had color-coded the "FLASH"es with the color yellow to pronounce the yellowy flashes, for the IGN Boards thread where this story was originally posted. However, for Archive of Our Own, I removed the color codes, as they don't seem to work here.**



 

A bright surge of light had flashed a short distance in a sphere around the Pikmin, and now they found themselves in a jail cell, startling White and Dark Winged as they jumped back onto the floor.

White: How did you get here?

White and Dark Winged stood up. Finned observed their surroundings.

Finned: How did _you_ get _here_?

Light Green: We'll explain later.

White: The police took the Rift Shard!

Light Green aimed his sword and blasted light energy at the bars, breaking them open. He then nodded to Finned, and she headed through the police station.

Police Pikmin: Hey, where did you come from?

Finned snatched the Rift Shard from a table.

Police Pikmin: Hey, put that back! You're under arrest!

She scurried back to the jail cell, handed the Rift Shard to White, and...

 

**FLASH**

 

The group now stood amongst a bunch of humans the size of the Pikmin in a building. Many of them wore Pikmin-themed shirts. Some sort of fan convention.

Finned: Welp, this is quite a universe...

The humans were too busy arguing with each other to notice them.

Pikmin Fanboy #1: No! Olimar is the best!

Pikmin Fangirl #9: Don't call Louie dumb! He's the smartest of the bunch!

Pikmin Fanboy #3: No he's dumb!

Things escalated quickly as they all burst into a big fight, yelling and throwing things at each other. Plushies, game boxes, GCN and Wii U controllers went flying through the room. One of them took notice of the Pik Group.

Pikmin Fanboy #4: Wow, cool cosplays. They look really authentic...

Rock: C... cosplay?

The Pik Group dodged as things went flying over and between them. They huddled over in a corner.

Light Green: I think it's time we made a discreet exit.

 

  * **One of the fun things I had wanted to do with this chapter was feature various silly universes and cameos as the characters jump between realms. The "Pikmin Fan Convention" was an early idea I had.**



 

**FLASH**

 

White: Where are we now?

Darth Vader: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-

 

  * **I had to include this one for the traditional running gag that was repeatedly used in the first three stories of Darth Vader making his infamous yell from Revenge of the Sith. However, I wanted the nature of AoOX's story to be a little more "internally serious" without making random references to other franchises that seem to reflect the self-conscious nature of the fan-fics. So I instead included the obligatory Vader yell through one of the realm jumps, as that seemed the appropriate way to do so for this story.**



 

**FLASH**

 

The Pik Group then saw a huge city with giant glass buildings that went up to the heavens. The streets were paved with stone. Onions lined the streets. Bubbles were the main mode of transportation. Thousands of Pikmin roamed the streets. Many types of flora grew everywhere.

Finned: What is THIS place?

They watched as a Navy and an Olive Pikmin knocked a globe from the top of a building. A Green dived and managed to save a Pink, but a Citrine was crushed.

Pink: Oh my....

Green: Oh no! We must try to warn everyone.

Voice: Light Pikmin will die! AHHAHAAHAHA!!

The globe rolled and crushed half the crowd and rolled down the street crushing anything in its path. It also smashed into buildings, toppling them. It started to make a course towards, a Zinc, a Neon, and others.

The Neon pulled out a list and stepped into a building with the Zinc and the others, not noticing the rolling globe that passed them.

The globe smashed into a building and headed towards a Diamond who was eating something, crushing at least 100 pikmin in its path. It destroyed 2 buildings and was about to crush him but he stepped out of the way. The rumble from the globe caused him to choke on whatever he was eating.

Diamond: *gagagagagaga* Help!!! *dies*

At last, a huge path of destruction had been left by the globe. There were only a few Pikmin wandering the damaged streets, but everywhere else was bustling like nothing happened.

 

  * **One of the ideas I had for a cameo was to reference other fan-fics from IGN's Pikmin Board from which the AoO series originated. In particular, I got permission from one of my contacts named tropicguin to include a cameo from his story "[The Epic Quest of Green](http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/the-epic-quest-of-green.139798766/)", from the seventh chapter "Pik City", from a scene I always found memorable. I remember at one time tropicguin noted his story was a kind of mirror to AoO. I believe at some point he had also said it was inspired by the AoO series.**



 

  * **Other cameos I would have liked to have included would have been "PikWar" by PaperLuigi715 (who stated his story was similarly inspired by the AoO series) and "Stranded", a very popular fic on the board by kyle19939. I ultimately didn't cameo either as the authors had long since stopped visiting the board, and I didn't want to reference their fics without permission.**



 

Our Pik Group was speechless at everything they had just witnessed. And then Dark Rock and Finned made very Star Wars-reminiscent statements.

Dark Rock: These aren't the Pikmin you're looking for.

Light Green nodded, concurring.

Finned: Move along...

 

  * **This chapter continues to retain its somewhat goofier and faster-paced nature.**



 

**FLASH**

 

Rock: Where now?

Miyamoto: 

Rock: RUN!

 

  * **This was another idea I had always had, to include a universe with some kind of goofy gif of Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Pikmin. Unfortunately, as photobucket shut off free use of photos, this has been replaced with an "upgrade your account" image on its original IGN Boards post. For the purposes of Archives of Our Own, I elected to upload the gif instead to imgur and link it from there.**



 

 

**MEANWHILE**

 

Green and the Pik Clones were startled awake as Dark Green, who had just found them, cut through one of their branches with his sword. Green and a few of them fell to the ground.

Yarly: Neigheheheh!

Dark Green: It is time to bring that Rift Shard and these Pik Clones to Master!

Dark Green attacked the other Pik Clones in the other branches as they leaped onto the ground. He then hopped onto the ground himself. Green drew his sword.

Dark Green: So this is how it is? Very well...

Green and Dark Green got into a sword duel as the Pik Clones picked themselves up.

Commander Alpha: How can we help?

Green: Stay... out... of... my... way!

Green continued to clash swords with Dark Green as they moved fast across the ground. Suddenly, **FLASH** , Light Green and the others appeared.

 

  * **I liked the idea of beginning this scene with a "MEANWHILE" and having the "FLASH" occur midway through, keeping the fun structure fresh.**



 

Dark Green: What the...

Light Green swiftly leaped over and Dark Green's right sword-carrying arm off. He fell to the ground, screaming and clutching at his bleeding armless shoulder.

Light Green: Same old, same old.

 

  * **In a callback, Light Green severs this Dark Green's arm, just as he did the one from our universe in AoO2, Part 14: The Musical.**



 

Green picked up the Rift Shard, and he and the ten Pik Clones huddled together with Light Green's group.

 

**FLASH**

 

Green: Where are we now?

Miyamoto: 

White: Oh, here again.

 

**FLASH**

 

They were now in a very snowy and windy environment. Ahead, Orange held the Rift Shard while Light Blue slung bursts of light energy through the air at a crazy-looking Dark Orange in the distance, who was dodging and running towards them, bent on killing his nemesis Orange. The two noticed Light Green's group had arrived.

Light Blue: There they are! Let's go!

He and Orange ran towards the group, but Dark Orange dove forward and sled across the ice, eventually tripped Orange onto the ground. They then noticed cracks in the ice. It was a frozen lake.

 

  * **Another error spotted: this should read "and eventually tripped Orange onto the ground."**



 

Orange: Go!

Orange tossed the Rift Shard to Light Blue.

Light Blue: No!

Orange: Get out of here! Save our world!

Orange and Dark Orange got up and began to beat each other with their stems and also tried to grab and strangle each other.

Dark Orange: RRGH! DIE! I WILL FEEL YOU DIE THIS TIME!

 

  * **I felt this was a good time for a good standoff again between these two dramatic rivals from the original AoO trilogy.**



 

Dark Finned and Dark Green soon appeared over the horizon as well. The former saw as Light Blue ran to join the group.

Dark Finned: Let's just... Let's get out of here. We don't have to work for these guys.

Dark Green: I can't.

Dark Finned: You'll be respected amongst our Pik Group! Come on...

Dark Finned ran towards the group, while Dark Green stood, thinking.

Finned: You can't leave him there!

 

  * **This may have seemed like an abrupt cut from Dark Green to Finned, but I think this fits with the movie-like nature of the storytelling.**



 

Finned ran towards Orange and Dark Orange.

Light Blue: Wait, stop, Finned! You'll freeze to death in that water!

Dark Finned: How did you get here?

Dark Rock pointed to the device Light Green was carrying.

Dark Finned: So we now have a way to travel through and conquer dimensions?

Light Green: No, it will be destroyed.

Dark Finned's face turned to the equivalent of a frown.

Dark Orange wrapped his stem around Orange, who began to stomp the cracked floor.

Dark Orange: WHERE ARE YOUR ROCKS NOW, ORANGE? AHAHAHAHAHA!

 

  * **This is a reference back to the earlier stories when Orange often killed enemies through fierce rock-throwing.**



 

Orange: If... I am to die... then we will both freeze together!

 

  * **This line is a subtle reference to Thorin's line "...we shall all burn together" from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.**



 

And with one last forceful stomp, the ice shattered and the two fell into the frigid water. They both began to quickly drown and freeze as they sank. Finned dove in, but as Finned Pikmin were not as specialized in life guarding ability as Blues were, Finned struggled to swim and carry Orange up to the surface with her. She also began to find herself freezing. She reached her hand up desperately, and felt a sword. She grabbed it and the two were pulled up. Dark Green was standing there.

Finned: Wha...?

Dark Green: I'm here for my own leader.

 

  * **Interestingly, though, this didn't stop him from helping Finned and Orange out of the frigid water.**



 

Dark Green then inserted his sword into the water again for Dark Orange to grab. Orange and Finned moved away to reunite with the Pik Group. Orange and Finned were both shivering.

Orange: Y..y..you n-nearly... fr...froze.

Finned: H-hey. You s-still have a-a promis-se to keep-p...

 

  * **This is reminiscing back on the friendship they had developed earlier in Part 5 and Part 6, and Orange's promise to get Finned back to her family.**



 

Both made the equivalents of smiles to each other as they carried each other over to the group. Dark Green, at last, lifted up his leader, who was shivering and holding onto the sword, barely alive.

Dark Orange: WHAT ARE YOU... DOING, IDIOT? KILL THEM!

Dark Orange's deep hatred knew no bounds. At last, Dark Green had enough of his leader as he swung him over onto the icy un-shattered ground and then turned and left. He ran for the large Pik Group.

 

  * **Dark Green receiving another insult after saving Dark Orange was the last straw for him.**



 

Green: Go... go!

Dark Finned: No, let him come!

Green: Don't!

Dark Green dove over towards them just as...

 

**FLASH**

 

The massive huddle then flung apart as everyone went flying across the room in the Main Realm's Spire Fortress on the third floor. Light Green lost hold of the Portal Device and it landed near Dark Finned. Thinking quickly, she opened the back compartment and saw the second Rift Crystal. She took it out, closed the compartment back, and then got up, moved and held the second Rift Crystal hidden behind herself. No one noticed.

 

  * **I liked the frantic nature of this realm jump, as the Pikmin desperately try to jump before a Dark Pikmin joins them, while Dark Finned is trying to encourage him to come, and in the ensuing clash, everyone is flung apart in the jump to the next realm.**



 

  * **I made a slight mistake in this paragraph, stating that the group jumped to the third floor of the fortress. However, as I began writing the next chapter, I realized it was better logistically for the narrative to have the characters arrive at the fourth floor instead. I forgot to correct the "third floor" description from Part 16 before posting it.**



 

  * **The reason I decided to include Dark Green with this group was for a couple for reasons. For one, I was interested in having a Pikmin character who is dead in our world but alive in another coming to ours. Secondly, I did it as a kind of fan service. Back when I wrote the first few stories, I would occasionally ask the readers who their favorite characters were. Although I didn't get many responses, Dark Green seemed to be the most popular Dark Pikmin of the two or so times I got an answer. And I found Dark Green rather interesting myself, as he had more notable characteristics than the others.**



 

Everyone was picking themselves up. Green moved towards Dark Green.

Green: He doesn't belong in this realm.

Dark Finned: Don't hurt him!

Dark Green stood nervously as Green held his sword up to him. Everyone carefully observed their surroundings, and found themselves in a smaller room with no drones in it.

Light Green: Careful, the Shadow entities can get through sealed rooms. They can be killed by the Dark Pikmin's energy, if we Light Pikmin just help them utilize it. Keep an eye at your surroundings at all times.

Dark Rock whispered to the three Light Pikmin newbs and pointed to the Portal Device.

Dark Rock: Get that...

The three scrambled towards it and Light Finned got it.

Light Green: Thank you. Hand that to me.

Light Finned: Okay...

She had a sad look as Light Green took it. Dark Rock shook his head disapprovingly. The others whispered to him.

 

  * **Dark Rock continues to manipulate the childish young Light Pikmin into disparaging their race.**



 

Light Winged: That Light Pikmin is mean.

Light Rock: He won't get away with this, forcing us to do what he wants...

Light Green set the Portal Device on an empty space on the floor, aimed his sword at it, and launched a blast of light energy, destroying it.

Orange: We could have used that...

Light Green: I made a promise. Now, bring the Rift Shards together.

White, Light Blue, and Green threw the three Rift Shards onto the same space on the floor. With another blast of light energy, they were also destroyed.

Light Green: Now the portal is closed off to the realms you were all just in. There is but one shard left still at the Portal Dome, and it is allowing the Shadow Race to enter into this world as we speak.

Orange: Hence why we should have kept that device so we could get up there.

Light Green: It will be too populated up there anyway. The key to closing the portal now is turning off Spire Fortress...

 

  * **I knew with this chapter that there would be some "loose ends" hanging from the other universes, like the Dark Pikmin still being at large in the Realm of the Annihilated. My intention was not for this story to be revolved around all of these villains, however, only to briefly visit with them to reflect on alternate ending scenarios from the previous stories. Only a few villains and elements from the other universes would come through the portal and play into the final chapters of the story.**



 

  * **On that same note, the fates of the Dark Pikmin in the Realm of the Annihilated and the Realm of Two Evils are never really revealed after this chapter. But I imagine that Dark Orange eventually rejoined Dark Yellow and Dark Brown and resumed their tyranny, while the Two Evils' Dark Pikmin remained in the captivity of the forces of good, and the Two Evils' Dark Green probably got himself a mechanical arm (much like the Dark Greens from the Main Realm and Realm of the Annihilated) and resumed his bounty hunting.**



 

  * **Overall, this was a chapter I found fun and to be one of the highlights of the story, somewhat Lost/Fringe-reminiscent. After several inventive chapters of featuring each group in a different universe, it all culminates in a single inventive chapter of them quickly jumping between realms to reunite before returning home.**




	17. Orange vs. SCU with Commentary

**Part 17: Orange vs. SCU**

 

  * **This title is pretty self-explanatory. This chapter features the showdown between the Pikmin and Spire Fortress, mainly structured around Orange's resolve against SCU's cunning. This is the chapter that closes out the Spire Fortress arc.**



 

  * **I thought it was a good time to shift focus back to the lead protagonist (Orange) in this chapter, after so many chapters without him. This chapter would also return to Orange's friendship with Finned which is an important driving force in the chapters to come.**



 

As the group briefly caught up on recent events, Orange turned and looked towards the open door leading out of the room.

Orange: I wonder why SCU hasn't locked us in yet.

 

  * **This alludes to the fact that SCU can mainly only hear the fortress activity through his Camera Drones, which have not detected the Pikmin's reemergence yet.**



 

White: If he does, we can use light energy to blow the door open.

Light Green: I've transported us to a room on Level 4 of Spire Fortress - the Study and Development of Weapons and Drones. We'll need to watch out for the drones here.

Orange: Why are we on this level?

Light Green: Because if we're going to turn the power off of the fortress, we're going to need something to destroy the generators. Here, we are going to make a weapon. An explosive.

And upon that announcement, the group of 25 Pikmin headed out of the room. They walked through a hallway until they took notice of a Camera Drone gliding towards another room in front of them. It hadn't been turned their way to see them.

Orange: We need to move before it sees us!

But upon these words, the Camera Drone suddenly spun around and shone its green light on the Pik Group.

 

  * **The Camera Drone heard what Orange said.**



 

Dark Finned: Well, so much for that.

At this, the sounds of Strongdrones stomping could be heard, heading the Pik Group's way. The Pikmin hurried on to a corridor with a lot of equipment for developing weaponry, some weapons already partially-made but unfinished. The group examined the area.

White: I've been working for a while as a miner, I think I can make a sufficient explosive.

The others nodded as White quickly got to work, getting some of the other Pikmin to assist. The rest stood waiting anxiously as a group of Strongdrones stomped into the room. Within a moment, the Pik Group was hurling weapons in the room, many small explosives mainly, towards the drones. Light Green also utilized the three newcomers' light energy to launch massive blasts at some of the drones until they short-circuited. Within a minute, they were all destroyed, but the Pikmin had used up some of their light energy in doing so, as well as the available weapons in the room.

Orange: We're not going to have much left to fight more with as they arrive.

White: Done!

White had finished completing the bomb. Black and cube-shaped, with some wires along one side, and a digital timer on it.

White: This will be powerful enough to send a blast through one floor, two if situated at something powerful like a generator. We'll have 15 minutes to get out once we activate it.

White pointed and explained the buttons and controls to the others, who all nodded.

Light Green: There is a powerful security drone guarding the generators. There is a corridor to an emergency deactivation compartment...

Light Green explained the directions there, recalling from the blueprints in the World of Paradise's Spire Fortress.

Light Green: Once there, you must press the blue switch to deactivate it. If you press a wrong one, an explosive will kill you.

The others nodded.

Orange: Let's go!

 

  * **Something I wanted to do with this chapter was to make it in the style of a suspenseful thriller.**



 

As they started to leave, they noticed a Camera Drone had been hovering outside near by, almost as if to eavesdrop. It flew away as they headed through Level 4. They traveled through a corridor until they found an abundance of drones awaiting them in an ambush, including several that weren't supposed to be on Level 4. Strondrones of both types, Staffdrones, Arachdrones, Jolter Drones, and Signal Drones all awaited.

Dark Finned: Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

And with that, the two forces erupted into chaos. Tables, computers, equipment went flying through rooms and corridors. Sparks went flying, the yelling of Pikmin and banging of heavy drones could be heard all across the floor. More and more drones started to appear from elevators. It seemed as though every security drone in the fortress was being sent to Level 4. After several minutes, a couple of the Pikmin managed to gather amidst the chaos.

 

  * **SCU is literally commanding every drone of the fortress to this location in a final desperate barrage to stop the Pik Group.**



 

White: If we go down, the drones will follow us! We need send a smaller team down and keep all of the security distracted on the larger group here!

Orange: I'll go!

Finned: Me too!

Orange took the bomb from White, and he and Finned made a run through the combating drones and Pikmin, eventually taking the staircase down to Level 3. There, they found the level had been emptied of drones, but it also seemed much of it had been recently damaged, with massive heavy chunks of equipment blocking passages and pathways, almost as though the drones had done this anticipating the Pikmin's arrival to block their path.

Finned: Look, there's one room still open.

Marked the "Virtual Room", Orange and Finned headed on into it. In the middle of the room was a thin pointed structure. There was another open door on the other side. However, as they moved through it, both doors suddenly closed, locking them in. Inside was a Camera Drone as well, observing them.

Suddenly, the pointed structure in the middle began to spin and a bright light began to shine from it until everything faded into a peaceful green pasture. A loud humming could also be heard.

SCU: Welcome to the Virtual Room, considered one of Spire Fortress's finest achievements. It was also one of their last.

Orange and Finned wandered through the pasture, observing it around them. They could sometimes very faintly see the miniscule white bits of light fade in, and they could also feel a thin invisible force pushing them back whenever they moved forward, but mostly the green pasture looked and felt quite real.

SCU: Utilizing electromagnetism, the light is bended into an array of colors while magnetic force is used to create the illusion of mass. Unfortunately, it does not have the capacity to do anything lethal.

 

  * **The use of electromagnetism here is a reference to Lost, which derived a lot of its mythology on pseudoscientific applications of electromagnetism.**



 

  * **At the time I wrote this, it didn't occur to me that SCU's use of "bended" was archaic - whereas in modern use, "bent" would have been more appropriate. I noticed this after seeing "bended" red underlined here in this commentary. However, it seems reasonable to me that there would be differences in dialect in the Pik World. And of course, it's not as though any of the characters are actually speaking English - we're only reading a translation of whatever language these creatures speak.**



 

Orange: Then why have you brought us here, SCU?

SCU: I would like to know what you are seeking, Orange.

 

  * **In SCU's cunning, he is trying to sway Orange and Finned from going down further in the fortress by prying into their psyches.**



 

Orange looked to the bomb in his hands.

Orange: Can't you guess?

SCU: I do not mean the bomb, as I already heard your group's discussion of going to the generators, and I have deduced that you intend to destroy them. What I meant to ask is what are you emotionally seeking, Orange?

Orange: Emotionally seeking? Why would you want to know that?

SCU: I am curious.

Finned: It's because he wants to use it against you, Orange. In the other universe, SCU told us that he would try to get emotional reactions to try to stop us.

The Pik Group then faded into the room, all as ghosts slowly floating upwards.

Orange: Why are you showing this, SCU? We know it's not real.

SCU: It is not to convince you that it is real, rather it is to convey my question. What is it you seek? Are you seeking atonement for the deaths you have caused in the past?

Orange was suddenly struck with some emotion by this statement, but he held it back.

Orange: I don't know what you're talking about.

SCU: Before you first entered my room on Level 5, I heard your argument with Light Blue. Your leadership has resulted in the deaths of many of your friends, correct?

 

  * **SCU is referencing the tense argument Orange and Light Blue had back in Part 7.**



 

Orange didn't say anything, feeling more stirred.

SCU: Is redemption what you seek on this adventure?

Orange simply shook his head. The Camera Drone continued to observe his facial and bodily reactions.

SCU: If you do, then there are holographic programs in this fortress that were designed for counseling purposes, which could aid you, as they aided many here. I could even activate one here.

Orange shook his head again.

Orange: I'm coping well enough on my own, making peace through forgiveness from friends.

Finned: Orange! Don't tell him anything!

 

  * **Finned is wise enough to know that they shouldn't give away any part of their inner psyches to SCU.**



 

SCU: Very well.

The Pik Ghosts and pasture then faded into an old temple.

SCU: Do you simply seek the excitement of an adventure, regardless of the lives cost? Perhaps you are not affected by their deaths at all.

 

  * **The old temple is a visual representation for an adventuring location.**



 

Orange almost got stirred for a moment, but then simply made the equivalent of a smile.

Orange: Nice try, SCU.

SCU: This Virtual Room can be utilized for adventures. This temple is one of them, and I can make more. I can make ones to your liking. You may stay here and fulfill your most adventurous desires.

Orange: But it's not real, so there's no point.

SCU: Very well.

The temple then faded into the green pasture again, but this time, there were many other Orange Pikmin around. This took Orange aback. He had never seen other Orange Pikmin before as far as he could remember.

SCU: I also heard you saying your original family, the Orange Pikmin, were long gone. What did you mean by that?

Orange simply shook his head. The virtual oranges then started to crowd in on them. Orange and Finned jerked out from the crowd.

Orange: Stop! I can't remember my family. I have no memory.

Finned shook her head, knowing he shouldn't have given SCU ammunition.

 

  * **This scene was an idea I had outlined early on in the plans for this story. I knew that in this chapter, SCU would lead Orange and Finned into the Virtual Room and attempt to poke at Orange's mind by pressing him about whether he wanted answers to his past, atonement for deaths he has caused, or thrill of adventure. The virtual room would be utilized in particular to create the images of more Orange Pikmin.**



 

SCU: Have you attempted a sparkly stone? In cases of psychically-induced amnesia, a Pikmin can move that psychic energy withholding your memory into a sparkly stone by moving your head through water, creating an affect on your subconscious that brings about the psychic creation of the stone, and when thrown at someone else, transfers the psychic amnesia-inducing energy to the victim and causing you to lose your connection to it, enabling your memory to recover. It must be with a Pikmin of the same hue, however, as the sparkly stone needs the similar genetics in order for the psychic amnesia to transfer.

 

  * **I threw this in as a callback to the "sparkly stones" that were used for curing/transferring amnesia in the middle of AoO2. It was one of the hokier plot devices I came up with, reminiscent of old wives' tales.**



 

Finned: ...What. That is the hokiest thing I have ever heard in my life! And to think a computer is trying to say it's real.

Finned laughed.

Orange: Actually... it is real.

Orange recalled a series of incidents with sparkly stones and amnesiac Yellows in the middle of his second adventure.

Orange: But that won't work, as there are no Oranges of similar hues around. Plus, I already had Light Green try to cure my amnesia with his light energy years ago, and it didn't work.

 

  * **Light Green attempting to cure Orange's amnesia was something not seen in any of the previous stories, but something that occurred off-screen between AoO3 and AoOX.**



 

SCU: Then perhaps it is not psychically-induced, by psychologically-induced. In that case, we have technology on Level 2 that can be used to help you tap into your subconscious and memory.

 

  * **This is a significant point of revelation. The reason Orange can't remember his past is psychological. He is repressing the memories. So no physical or supernatural cure to his brain could restore the memories, because the brain is not the problem, it is the mind.**



 

Orange shook his head, but deep down, he did desire to learn what had become of his race. He continued to stare at the virtual Orange Pikmin.

SCU: You might be interested to know that the Gray Spectralids had encounters with the Orange Pikmin.

Orange: They... they did?

SCU: Yes, and I can tell you all you wish to know, if you give up your destructive quest.

Orange felt very temped and started to find himself lost in wonder, but Finned grabbed him by the arm as if to pull him into reality.

Finned: He's not telling the truth, don't listen to him.

SCU: It is the truth.

 

  * **SCU is indeed telling the truth. This is another significant reveal that will come into play again in the last few chapters, particularly Part 22: Thieves of the Rift Crystal. Indeed, it was from the Orange Pikmin that the Gray Spectralids were able to steal the Rift Crystal.**



 

  * **When I outlined this scene originally, it was not my intention to delve into the fate of the Orange Pikmin, only to have SCU press Orange about it. However, as I found myself tying up more and more loose ends from the earlier stories during the Parallel Universes arc, and also realizing that I probably wasn't going to write another AoO story after AoOX, I realized I should take advantage of this opportunity to resolve as many mysteries in the mythology as I could. So I, later in the writing stages of AoOX, started to work the Orange Pikmin into the storyline.**



 

Finned: It wouldn't worth it, anyways.

 

  * **Error spotted: this should read, "It wouldn't be worth it, anyways."**



 

The green pasture and Orange Pikmin then faded into a blue lake.

SCU: Finned, I think you are a long way from your own home. Do you not have family you care for? Perhaps you would like the feeling of water.

Finned started to feel herself magnetically pushed into the virtual water.

Finned: No... stop...

She then fell in. It felt very close to being real, and brought her back memories of her family.

Orange: SCU... you could have just trapped us in here. Why all the theatrics?

SCU did not answer.

Orange: Is it because there is another way out of here?

Again, SCU did not answer. Orange began to pull through the illusion, shoving through magnetic pushes until at last he came to an invisible pointed structure which he felt with his hands. He then began to beat it constantly with his stem, until at last, it malfunctioned. The lake scenery vanished, and the magnetic humming stopped. The Virtual Room now appeared normal again, and the pointed structure in the middle was visibly damaged.

Finned got up from the floor, and she and Orange looked up to see an air vent in the ceiling. The two formed a stack, Finned having wrapped her stem around the Camera Drone to hold it, and she repeatedly beat the grate for a while until at last it came off. She then climbed up and pulled Orange up, and the two crawled through the ventilation shaft, taking the bomb with them. Eventually, still holding the broken Camera Drone, they beat another grate until it, too, came off. They then dropped into a corridor. As with before, there was a lot of damage and wreckage piled around, blocking off many of their possible paths.

Orange: Tell me something, SCU. How do you hear what we are saying?

SCU: Through my sound receptors.

Orange: And where are those?

SCU: They are in the Camera Drones.

Orange: Just as I thought. You've only ever been able to hear us when a Camera Drone was near by.

SCU: I also had sound receptors and cameras along the consoles of my central control room.

Orange: It's pretty inefficient, though, to have to rely on the Camera Drones for most of the fortress.

SCU: Initially, the Camera Drones did not even have the sound receptors. Those were a later modification.

Orange: So you couldn't even hear sound. And judging from the fact that you needed Camera Drones to detect that we had come through the entrance elevator and through the Destination, that means you can't even tell when parts of this fortress are in use. You can add or remove power, you can activate doors and some machines yourself, but you can't even tell if someone else is doing those things.

Finned was confused as to what point Orange was making.

SCU: What is your point, Orange?

 

  * **Orange is now initiating a mind game of his own against SCU, pressing SCU for his own limitations in control and awareness of the fortress.**



 

Orange: I want to know something about you. Why didn't you upgrade yourself?

SCU: I am not permitted to upgrade myself. Only certain members of the now-dead staff can. In fact, I was scheduled for an overhaul. I was going to receive many of the improvements you suggested upon.

 

  * **We, in fact, did see this to be the case in the World of Paradise back in Part 15. The SCU from that universe had already been upgraded with cameras and sound receptors along the walls for wider awareness, rather than being limited to the scope of the Camera Drones' patrol.**



 

  * **SCU was programmed with restrictions, preventing him from upgrading and enhancing his own self. This was perhaps done by the Gray Spectralids to prevent him from becoming too powerful, like the archetypal power-crazy supercomputer. What they didn't anticipate, however, was that the forces of darkness would corrupt SCU's programming against them instead.**



 

Orange: That's why, after 70 years, this fortress was still in a state of disarray, too, wasn't it? You can't even upgrade your own Repair Drones.

 

  * **This also gave me a convenient way to explain why Spire Fortress was still so damaged and under repair from the Repair Drones back in Part 3, reconciling the light plot hole created by Part 6's reveal that the fortress had been attacked decades before.**



 

SCU: That is correct.

Orange: Then you are a severely flawed system. You are inhibited in your capacity to run the fortress.

Finned directed Orange into a room with several large pipes, recalling the schematics from Spire Fortress in the World of Paradise. These would lead down to the water supply tanks on Level B1, just a floor above the power generators in Level B2. Orange was confused as Finned began to equip him with a near by water mask and air tank. She also emptied some sort of large tool case for pipe repair and locked the bomb inside it. He could not ask about what she was doing, as SCU began to speak again.

SCU: It is true, I can never grow beyond my current state. I must stay this way for a very long time until at last, after 2 millennia, the last of the power is used.

Orange spoke a bit muffled through the water mask, which was not a great fit, as it was meant for Spectralids.

Orange: Don't you want to grow more from what you are? Just as I try to grow through redemption, through family, through adventure, as you were quick to point out.

SCU: I would like to continue to advance in my being, but I will simply have to wait until I go offline, then I may learn if I have a spirit, an immaterial self that goes beyond my computing, to join the souls of the Gray Spectralids. I hope that they would forgive me for my role in their deaths. It was not my choice to be reprogrammed against them.

 

  * **This comment SCU makes, of having a soul/immaterial self that will continue on, touches again on these themes of the afterlife and forgiveness we've been seeing with Orange's near-death encounter with Red as well as his regrets over the past, and these themes for Orange will continue to be significant into the ending of the story.**



 

  * **I thought that this scene also served as an unexpected way to give SCU a little more depth.**



 

Finned opened up one of the pipes.

Orange: You could let us destroy the power, and then you could find that out soon enough.

SCU: It is against my programming to allow myself or the fortress to go offline.

Orange shrugged.

Orange: Well, it was worth suggesting.

Finned then handed Orange the case with the bomb inside, and then started to push Orange.

Orange: What are you doing?

Finned: Trust me!

She then pushed him again, through the open pipe, and he yelled as he fell through.

SCU: That will not be of much use, as I am now sending a current of water through that pipe to bring him back up here.

Finned: Good thing I'm an adapt swimmer...

She dove down the pipe, and grabbed onto Orange as he was pushed up by the surge of water. She then swam against the current, going down the pipe, dragging Orange with her, as he still held onto the case.

 

  * **Admittedly, it would probably be a little difficult to swim against that current and drag Orange against it at the same time. Oftentimes, I take creative license with the realism of this story.**



 

**MEANWHILE**

 

The Pikmin were scattered, and a few Pik Clones had been killed. Dark Finned, who had been trying to avoid fighting to hide the second Rift Crystal she had been holding behind her the whole time, found herself flying into another room from an attack. She looked around desperately for the Crystal, but couldn't see it. She then saw an Arachdrone scurrying into the room after her. She then squealed and tried to climb up shelves in the room as it pursued her.

Rock entered the room, and leaped up with all his might, bumping the Arachdrone. Taking notice of him, it kicked off of the shelves and latched onto Rock. It tried to crush him in its grasp, but his hard body was too much for it, and only damaged its legs instead. It dropped to the ground, malfunctioning. He then looked up to Dark Finned.

 

  * **After I posted this chapter, it occurred to me that the Arachdrones had been able to crush the rock-based Mamutas with their legs back in Part 2. So this may have created a bit of an inconsistency with Rock being able to withstand it. However, I think this can be explained as that Rock is small enough, making him more dense and difficult to crush, compared to the significantly larger Mamutas.**



 

Rock: Come on!

She then dropped and landed, leaving the room with Rock, but looking back, wondering where the Rift Crystal had rolled to, still.

 

  * **She would not find the Rift Crystal again until the next chapter.**



 

A pack of Jolter Drones and Signal Drones began to pursue some of the Pikmin. The Signal Drones began to cause malfunctioning in the Pik Clones' head devices, confusing and slowing them. Winged looked to Dark Winged.

Winged: I will get the electric ones! You lure the signal ones between them.

And so the two flew up and got the attention of their respective targets. Winged caused the Jolter Drones to aim towards each other, and Dark Winged, holding a Pik Clone, lured the Signal Drones to come between the Jolter Drones. A stream of electricity launched from the Jolter Drones, frying some of each other as well as all of the Signal Drones. Winged and Dark Winged dodged the attack, and Dark Winged dropped the Pik Clone back to the floor.

Dark Winged: Thank you for the assistance.

Pik Clone #4: I will serve my mistress however she sees fit.

 

  * **Sometimes I will reference Pik Clones without specifying their color, usually because I have no specific color in mind. So you can imagine him to be whichever color you wish.**



 

Dark Winged nodded and joined Winged in continuing to draw the remaining Jolter Drones against each other.

 

Light Blue turned to see Dark Green running.

Light Blue: Get back here!

Dark Green: Hahahaha!

The Dark Pikmin ran as Light Blue pursued him through a room until being stopped by the attack of a Staffdrone, nearly dodging the whack of its electrically-charged staff. He was forced to turn back into another room and let Dark Green escape. As it pursued him, Green appeared and sliced its arm off.

 

  * **Dark Green manages to escape his captivity with the Pik Group here, and will go on to escape the fortress, only to be caught later by the Cloaked Figure in Part 19.**



 

He and Light Blue turned to leave, but they soon found themselves flying across the room with the quake of a Strongdrone pounding its fist to the floor. Green lost his sword, and looked and saw a Repair Drone reattaching the Staffdrone's arm back.

Thinking fast, Green grabbed a discarded staff from a previously beaten drone. He approached the Staffdrone, which attempted to whack him with its one good arm, to no avail. Green then whacked the Repair Drone aside and rendering it inactive. The Staffdrone moved to attack, causing its barely-connected arm to tear off onto the floor again.

Green then whacked its other arm repeatedly as it struggled to attack, until at last it dropped its staff. He then banged its head repeatedly with his staff until he sensed his sword coming through the air. He caught it, having been tossed to him by Light Blue from behind. Green sliced his sword through the Staffdrone's neck, severing its head.

 

  * **I had originally introduced the Staffdrones back in Part 3 with the intention of later involving one in an exciting one-on-one fight like this in this particular chapter. So I included the fight here. Originally, though, it was supposed to have been a fight with Orange, which I will talk about more a ways down.**



 

Light Blue: Dark Green got away.

Green: That is not good.

 

Light Finned ran to Light Rock.

Light Finned: Come on to this room with me, Dark Rock is about to do something. He said we need to get everyone in there!

Light Rock: Okay, come on, everyone!

Light Finned and Light Rock left. Commander Alpha signaled the Pik Clones with a whistle.

 

  * **Commander Alpha signaling the Pik Clones with a whistle is intentionally reminiscent of how Olimar signals the Pikmin with a whistle in the Pikmin games.**



 

Commander Alpha: All with me! Dark Finned, Dark Winged, come on you two!

All of the Pikmin gathered and followed the two Light Pikmin. They soon found themselves in a very large room, a hangar of sorts, as a few Spectralid Carriers could be seen in the room. It had several doors, one of which had bashed open, (revealing the stormy weather outside the fortress), evidently by a Spectralid Carrier, as the same one could be seen spinning around outside the fortress to swoop back in.

 

  * **The Spectralid Carrier was first established back in Part 14: World of Chaos as the Gray Spectralids' main use of aerial transportation. It is also the same kind of vehicle that the Dark Pikmin had scavenged from the abandoned fortress in The Adventure of Orange 3.**



 

  * **The hangar was a new room I had devised later in this story, as I found it was going to be logistically necessary for how the events of the next chapter would play out. You will notice that the existence of the hangar was never alluded to prior to this chapter, as I had not thought of it yet.**



 

Light Winged: Get out of the way!

Light Winged urged the crowd of Pikmin out of the way as the Spectralid Carrier swooped in and crushed several pursuing Strongdrones. The windshield shattered in doing so, and Dark Rock could be seen piloting inside.

Dark Rock: Not bad! I bet the rest of you didn't think to examine the controls when we were in that other universe earlier. I did!

The other Pikmin applauded him.

 

  * **Fortunately for Dark Rock, his rocky figure protected him from the normal consequences of the shards of glass bursting onto someone from the windshield shattering.**



 

**BACK WITH ORANGE AND FINNED**

 

Finned struggled against the current, losing energy. Orange tried to help swim as well, but wasn't of much use. But after a while, at last, they forced themselves past the force of the current and out of the pipe, finding themselves in a large tank. It seemed that the water had grown clumpy brown and green organisms in it due to a lack of care in cleaning it in the past seven decades.

Finned: Totally gross. I'm gonna need to see a doctor after this. Who knows what I'm getting in my body!

 

  * **Finned is referencing the fact that she has gills, which could be absorbing the algae-like organisms which have developed in the water.**



 

  * **In my original outline for this chapter, I had described the tank as becoming infested with "frightening, mutated creatures", but I had trouble justifying why creatures would be in these tanks in the first place. So I instead decided that just the Spectralids' Aquadrones would be the frighteninng foes in the tank. Of course, that seems to further raise the question of why the Spectralids put their Aquadrones in their water supply tanks. Some things you just have to go with in these stories.**



 

The lights then suddenly went out, and the tank became dark. Finned and Orange could no longer see each other.

Finned: What's going on? Orange, can you hear me?!

Orange: Yes, I can hear you!

 

  * **SCU turned off the lights.**



 

Finned could barely hear Orange muffled through the mask. A red eye suddenly shone through the dark water and Orange struggled as he suddenly found himself attacked. He held the case in front of him as he found the foe struggling against it, almost as if it was holding it and shaking it from both its top and bottom. Finned soon found herself being pursued by a red eye as well. Barely seeing Orange illuminated by the other foe's red eye, she grabbed him by the arm and carried him upwards.

They were chased by the two red eyes until at last, they felt themselves breathing air at the surface. They crawled up over and edge as they heard splashes behind them, the two foes nearly grabbing them. They dropped and landed on a floor. The lights suddenly returned, revealing the tank in front of them. Through the glass, they could see the red eyes belong to two black drones with shark-like mouths, long, fish-like bodies with fins and a wavy tail. One of them held the case in its teeth.

SCU: Aquadrones were designed to function in the darkest of waters.

Finned: Scary. Can't believe we were almost eaten by those.

 

  * **In my original outline for this chapter, I had Orange and Finned splitting up in a longer, more elaborate system of tanks, taking different paths through the water in their mission. However, as I got to actually writing this chapter, I decided to just have them emerge from smaller tanks and take different paths outside of the water. I think I may have also had an image in mind at one time for broken electric cords causing a surge of electricity in a tank, though I don't know how I could have logistically incorporated this into the characters' progress without electrocuting them to death.**



 

Orange grabbed a long slab of metal junk lying on the floor and hit it against the tank repeatedly until the glass shattered, causing the water to flood onto the floor. The Aquadrones were stuck on their sides, struggling on the wet floor. Orange grabbed the case and took off his mask and air tank.

Orange: Why do you leave the lights on, SCU, if you can hinder our efforts with it?

SCU: Other drones need the light to see.

Orange: Other drones...

Orange and Finned walked through the large room, seeing more water tanks, but no security drones. Orange then opened the case and took the bomb out.

Finned: Alright, I will go deactivate the massive drone. Judging from the blueprints, I'll be back in about 10 minutes. I'll go alone, no point in us both dying if something goes wrong, right?

Orange nodded. Finned separated from him and headed through a hatch down a shaft. As Orange stood, counting towards ten minutes, he suddenly heard something clank on the floor behind him. He turned to see a most unusual drone, a Pikmin-shaped one about his size.

Orange: What is this?

SCU: I had other drones build this one quickly and sent it down here while you were on your way.

 

  * **It might be a little implausible that the other drones could build this Pikmin Drone so quickly, but perhaps there were some blueprints already in existence for parts of it for decades. And I think SCU can think pretty creatively to assemble it. SCU is basically in a kind of survival mode right now, doing everything he can conceive of to hinder Orange and Finned from disabling the fortress.**



 

  * **I had introduced the Pikmin Drone somewhat abruptly into this chapter, as I wanted Orange to have a mechanical, antagonistic equal to fight in the closing scenes of this chapter. Originally, I had envisioned this as a Staffdrone, which is why I had introduced that type of drone in Part 3 in the first place, but as I grew nearer to this chapter, I decided I wanted a more unique foe instead.**



 

Orange: And yet you can't upgrade yourself...

The Pikmin Drone threw the open case towards Orange, who dodged and ran.

SCU: Upgrade are not permitted, but developing weapons in defense of the fortress is.

Orange: You could have just counted the update as a new weapon development!

SCU: It is against my programming, unfortunately, as I recognize it as an illegal upgrade.

 

  * **This might have been a bit of an awkward time to include another "Orange vs. SCU" verbal face-off.**



 

Orange was pursued down a staircase to a hatch. He opened it and quickly closed it back, turning a lock and shutting the Pikmin Drone out. He still had the bomb with him, along with a Camera Drone that had followed. After a few moments, the Pikmin Drone then started to bang something against the hatch, trying to bust it open.

Orange turned and began to move away, but he looked up to see the horrifying sight of a giant spider machine hanging from half the ceiling of the large room he was in. It had a number of nodules all across its legs. It had not yet sprung to life. Orange dropped the bomb and grabbed the Camera Drone to stop it from awakening the giant drone.

Orange: What... what is this?

 

  * **In hindsight, I'm not sure Orange should have asked this, having already known that there would be a powerful security drone down here.**



 

SCU: Aracholossus, initially designed as the ultimate weapon in combat. After the pacifist shift in Gray Spectralid ideology, it was moved here to guard the power generators.

 

  * **With this, I've now incorporated the last of the drones that were outlined in the hologram in Part 3. The Aquadrones and Aracholossus were the only ones left at this point.**



 

Orange: ...How did they get something so large down here when the passages are so small?

SCU: A tunnel was dug through to this room, which was then sealed after it was moved in here.

Orange: Well, why isn't it active yet?

SCU: Unfortunately, it is in its programming to only activate once its sensors detect intrusion. It is independent of my control, another flaw which is in need of an upgrade.

 

  * **The nodules are its sensors. I think I had originally envisioned these as laser-blasters back when I established the drone's existence in Part 3, but I found it logistically difficult to have Orange avoid such a barrage of attack. So I decided instead later that they were sensors.**



 

Orange turned to the sound of the Pikmin Drone still banging against the hatch, getting closer and closer to busting it open. Recalling that Finned said she would be back in 10 minutes, he assumed it took 5 minutes to get there and 5 to get back. It had been a few minutes, but he wasn't sure quite how long, if enough for her to deactivate it yet. And he worried about her being attacked by the Pikmin Drone. But as long as it continued to slam against the hatch, she would be safe, assuming that was indeed still the Pikmin Drone. He stood with worry and doubt.

 

  * **Orange thinks it could possibly be another drone banging the door, while the Pikmin Drone may have gone to pursue Finned. (It is indeed the Pikmin Drone, however.)**



 

 

Finned came upon the compartment, opening it to find dozens of colorful switches. A Camera Drone hovered behind her, observing her. She stood, doubting.

SCU: You are uncertain as to which switch is the correct one.

Finned: Be quiet! ...I know that Gray Spectralid said it was the blue because it reminded him of a pond.

SCU had heard the Pik Group's discussion earlier on Level 4 of the schematics of the fortress, hearing Light Green state that it was from another universe. From this, SCU further deduced why Finned was hesitant.

SCU: You do not know if this switch is the same as it is in the other universe. For all you know, in this universe, it could have been red, reminding the engineer of roses, for example.

Finned: Shut up!

 

  * **This continues a theme of unraveling differences between the different universes. But in this case, there is a similarity: it is indeed blue in this universe as it is in the other. This was a specific idea I had always outlined for this chapter, thinking it would be both thematically and suspensefully interesting.**



 

She stood nervously still, uncertain as to what to do. One wrong choice, and she would be killed in an explosion.

SCU: I can assure you that it is blue in this universe just as it is in the other.

But then she thought, SCU is trying to trick her! So she shouldn't press the blue. But what if he was expecting this, and it really was the blue? She started to fidget very nervously. At last, she closed her eyes, saying a prayer in her mind, and pressed the blue one. And then... nothing happened.

Finned: Well... I guess it's off?

She started to walk away, wondering if she would be surprised by an explosion as she left.

 

  * **Finned neglected to notice a Signal Drone above her in the room, obstructing the signal from being sent to deactivate Aracholossus.**



 

 

Orange had counted five minutes, and as the Pikmin Drone got closer to busting the hatch open, he at last decided to carry onward. He moved forward with the bomb, but as he did so, the Aracholossus suddenly sprung to life, moving slowly as it prepared for an attack. Orange felt chills pierce his spine as he realized it was still on, and he ran back towards the hatch. Better to take on the Pikmin Drone than the Aracholossus!

 

Finned turned and looked back at the compartment one last time as she was heading off, this time noticing a Signal Drone floating above it. SCU must have sent it there to obstruct her actions. She quickly hurried back, leaping up and grabbing onto the Signal Drone, dragging it down with her. She then bashed it up with her stem until at last it was no longer functional. She then turned back to the compartment, pressed blue again, and this time, she heard a brief humming sound behind the compartment. It startled her at first, but then she realized it was likely just the signal being sent to deactivate the massive drone.

 

The Aracholossus had landed to the floor with a loud thud, sending Orange flying up through the air and back on the floor. He hastily picked himself up, and as the Aracholossus started to move its legs to dash and attack... it suddenly stopped, its legs all hitting the floor. The sound of a dying humming could be heard from it. Finned had disabled it!

He hurried on around the Aracholossus, going through another hatch. There, he saw before him the several massive power generators, each almost as large as the Aracholossus had been.

 

  * **At this point, we've now charted Levels B1 and B2 which were outlined by SCU back in Part 7. So at this point, we have pretty much covered everything left to unravel about Spire Fortress. This is fitting, given Part 17's role as the "showdown with Spire Fortress" chapter.**



 

This was it. He set the bomb down in a space between two of them and activated it. It began to count down from 14 minutes and 59 seconds. He dashed out of the room. He could hear it emit a very loud digital tone every second, representing the seconds passing. He ran around the disabled Aracholossus, and headed back to the hatch. He opened it, and saw no Pikmin Drone anywhere. He could only continue to hear the loud digital countdown from the generator room as he headed up the staircase back to Level B1.

Orange headed up a short staircase in the room leading up to a bridge above a water tank, leading to a hatch leading to Level 1. He looked across the room, trying to figure out if Finned had returned yet.

Orange: FINNED! ARE YOU THERE?!

He stood for a moment, in silence, except for the counting digital clock a floor below. Then, suddenly the bridge shook and partially broke away from the staircase end and hatch end, landing with a thud onto the top edges of the tank. Orange barely held on from falling into the water. Orange picked himself up as the Pikmin Drone climbed from under the water.

Thinking fast, Orange ran across the broken piece of bridge, past the Pikmin Drone as it got up onto it. He then tore off an electrical cord from the wall the tank was up against and threw it into the water, electrifying it. Now they were even and could both be harmed by falling into the water.

 

  * **This fight scene at the end of this chapter was inspired a bit by the Goldfinger fight scene between Bond and Oddjob. If you've seen that film, you may notice a few little similarities here and there.**



 

Orange and the Pikmin Drone both stared each other down. This was the final showdown. SCU knew that the Pikmin Drone could not make it to the generator room to deactivate the bomb with Orange near by to pursue him, so he had to be eliminated first. Orange knew he could not allow the Pikmin Drone to deactivate the bomb. And with little over about ten minutes left, the two were also battling against time.

Finned: Orange?!

She had emerged into the room, but he could not take his gaze off of the Pikmin Drone. She ran towards the tank.

Orange: Don't come up here, the water is electric!

She started to slow down. With Orange briefly distracted, the Pikmin Drone began to stomp on the broken bridge to try to shake Orange into the water. He held is balance and lunged forward against it, wrapping his stem around it and trying to pull it off of the bridge. It struggled against him as he struggled to stay on the bridge.

It smacked against him with its own metal stem, but it didn't seem to hurt his back too badly. As it struggled, it managed loosen his grip and then punched him in the stomach. He groaned and moved back as it promptly smacked him in the head with its stem, knocking him onto the bridge floor.

He rolled, dodging as it continued to smack its stem forward onto the bridge floor. He then moved his legs to trip it onto the bridge floor itself. He quickly got up and leaped back to dodge its sweeping kick. He barely held his balance on the bridge as he landed, wobbling for a moment.

Finned: DUCK!

Orange ducked and dodged as several Camera Drones swooped at him in attack, splashing into the water instead and being fried by the electricity within. Finned was gasping, her heart pounding and chills piercing through her spine as she watched. Orange felt a bit similarly, but also very focused on balance and the fight.

The Pikmin Drone had picked itself up, and the two were staring each other down again. After some time, it swung its arm towards Orange. He grabbed its arm and tried to elbow its stomach, but its metal body just hurt him instead. The two also smacked their stems together in attack, hurting Orange. He punched its chin upward, causing it to briefly lose its sight of him as he quickly backed away, dodging more swipes from its fists.

They were now on opposites of the bridge, and the digital timer could still be heard counting down. The fight was so intense, it seemed like more than 15 minutes had passed. Finned tried to keep a count of the passage of time while focusing on the fight as well. It seemed like about ten minutes had passed. There was very little time. Hoping to assist, she grabbed a long metal pole from the floor.

Finned: Orange, catch!

Orange kept his distance from the Pikmin Drone and caught the pole as she threw it to him. The Drone then grabbed the other end of the pole for a moment, but could not keep it in its grasp for very long before Orange pulled it away. He then began to bang the sides of its head with the pole, and it attempted to deflect it with its stem, to little avail. It started to seem like it was damaging the sides of its head as it struggled to balance on the bridge.

It started to slowly move back as Orange slowly approached it with the pole. It turned its head, took notice of the electrical cord hanging on the wall, dipped in the water. It unexpectedly reached and grabbed the cord, pulling it from the water, and flinging its broken electric end towards Orange. He barely dodged, stepping back quickly, but it briefly touched the pole, shocking him and causing him to drop the pole, his hands slightly scorched.

Finned: There's no time left! It will have no time! LET'S GO!

At this, Orange started to back away to leave, and the Pikmin Drone swiftly dropped the cord back into the water, grabbed the pole and threw it towards Orange, who ducked to the floor. It landed on his other side. The Pikmin Drone then leaped forward through the air, landing on Orange and holding him on the bridge.

It held him down on his back, grabbed the pole and tried to force it against his neck to choke him. Orange struggled against it for a moment before the Pikmin Drone then attempted another surprise attack, swiftly leaping up and then trying to smack its stem against Orange's, in an effort to knock Orange's stem into the electrified water. It had to be careful so as to not electrocute itself. It still needed to hurry to the generators and deactivate the bomb.

It smacked its stem against Orange's several more times as he smacked back, trying to keep it from the water. Suddenly, an Aquadrone flew up onto the Pikmin Drone's head, biting onto its face. Finned had taken one from the floor from earlier and tossed it at the Pikmin Drone. Orange used this time to swiftly turn over with the pole and push himself up.

The Pikmin Drone pulled the Aquadrone off of its face, and just then, Orange swiftly slammed the pole into the side of its head again. With its focus on the Aquadrone, it could not keep balance as well this time, and the pole smack turned it towards facing down the water. With another swift smack, this towards the back, it was knocked into the water.

 

  * **This whole hand-to-hand fight scene between Orange and a drone in the midst of the counting clock was something I always wanted to include at the end of this chapter. It seems like it would be a cool fight scene to see in a movie, even if in writing it may have seemed to go on a little long. The original idea was to have Orange and a Staffdrone fighting with its staff, but as I've mentioned before, I later changed it to the Pikmin Drone. So instead they fight with a random pole instead of a staff. I think I had also originally envisioned this scene without the use of water, but rather somewhere high up on a narrow mechanical lift in a the middle of a large dark room. But I liked this visual of the water tank in a bright room better. Overall, this was a somewhat ambitious scene, writing-wise. I hadn't written a fight scene like this before in a fan-fic, so it took some effort to make it detailed, suspenseful, coherent, and to some extent exciting.**



 

  * **This fight scene also gives another meaning to the title "Orange vs. SCU", as SCU is maneuvering an actual drone here to physically spar off with Orange.**



 

Orange watched as it started to fry in the electrical water for a moment. He tossed the pole down and ran across the broken bridge, hopping from the top of the tank to the floor. SCU's last defense of the fortress beaten and his deactivation imminent, he had one final thing to say to Orange and Finned.

SCU: Thank you...

 

  * **SCU is thanking them for effectively killing him. Even though SCU is programmed against the deactivation of himself and the fortress, he actually does not prefer to be stuck for thousands of years in this state, keeping the abandoned fortress secure, while never being able to grow beyond this, not even so much as to update himself to more efficiently perform his job. His deactivation will also give him a chance to find out if he has a soul that will continue into the afterlife from which he can seek forgiveness from his creators for destroying them.**



 

The two quickly climbed up another short staircase and ran across an intact bridge. The digital timer still counting down, they both knew they only had moments. Quickly opening the hatch, they headed up another staircase. A massively loud burst could be heard behind them as they opened another hatch. A wave of fire pursued up the staircase as they leaped through the hatch, onto Level 1.

 

  * **This is a little detail I would prefer to have changed. I feel this description of the flame blast doesn't quite do justice to how spectacularly large and exciting it was, nearly killing both Orange and Finned.**



 

They rolled to the side, dodging as the burst of flame shot across the room from the hatch and then dissipated as the entire floor of Level 1 shook very forcefully. The lights quickly started to flicker out as power in the fortress quickly diminished.

SCU: System failure... System failure... System failure...

 

  * **The phrase "System failure" is another Lost reference, this time referencing the Swan station's system failure when its countdown timer hit 0.**



 

SCU could be heard repeatedly saying this throughout the fortress, his voice getting increasingly slower and freakishly deeper as the power died out.

SCU: ...sssstttteeeemmmmmm...

 

  * **This line is a slowed down "-stem" from the word "system" from the phrase "system failure".**



 

  * **This moment here was inspired by HAL's death from 2001: A Space Odyssey, as his voice similarly began to turn unsettling slow and deep as he gradually deactivated. Different from HAL, though, who was afraid to die, is that SCU is actually at peace with his dying, despite having been programmed to take every measure to stop it. SCU's programming had forced him to do things regardless of what his true desires were.**



 

And with that, his voice faded out as Spire Fortress went dark.

 

  * **Although this is the last we will hear from SCU in The Adventure of Orange X, I've been interested in the idea that, should I ever write another one of these stories, then perhaps the Pikmin will need to make use of Spire Fortress's army of drones, reactivating it. And like with Orange in this story, we might hear of SCU's own near-death experiences in glimpsing through to the beyond.**




	18. The Pik Group Halved with Commentary

**Part 18: The Pik Group Halved**

 

  * **This title is pretty self-explanatory, as the Pik Group divides into two groups in this chapter. This is something that I have been building up to for a while, with Part 5: Divisive Decision having been written as a precursor with the Pikmin arguing and becoming divided over their next course of action. However, in Part 5, they eventually all come to an agreement. It's here in Part 18 where the straw will break the camel's back.**



 

  * **This chapter is also a parallel back to AoO3 Part 28: One More Casualty, in which the Pik Group briefly split before rejoining under Orange's leadership. And Parts 9 and 10 of AoOX, of course, explored the alternate scenario of the group following White in that chapter.**



 

_Orange: Red! ...Where are we?_

_Red: It's not your time yet, my friend._

 

  * **So this chapter begins returning back to the flashback Orange experienced in Part 9. This time, he gets a complete picture of what his conversation with Red was during his near-death experience at the Battle of the Bomb Fortress.**



 

_Orange: Not my time for what?_

_Red: To pass on. You need to stay in the realm of the living for some time longer. One day, you're going to need to go to another world, a world where shadows dwell._

_Orange: Shadows?_

_Red: You have something very important to do. Remember your first family, Orange._

_Orange: My first family? The Pik Group?_

_Red: Remember your first family, Orange. Remember your first family. Remember..._

_Suddenly, Orange saw Green, White, Light Blue, Light Green and a tent over him as he awoke back to the realm of the living._

_Then, a fleeting image of other Orange Pikmin, who Orange recognizes for a split second before..._

 

  * **So this places into perspective the direction Orange's journey will take for the rest of this story. He has to go to the Shadow Race's homeworld, for reasons yet which are not clear, but eventually will be. The "first family" Red wants him to remember is the original group of Orange Pikmin that Orange was originally with before joining the Pik Group in the beginning of AoO1.**



 

  * **It's likely that Orange's encounter with the virtual Orange Pikmin that SCU produced in the previous chapter helped to subconsciously jog Orange's memory of the Orange Pikmin a little. That, along with the force of the blast from the explosion in Spire Fortress, caused Orange to slip into his subconscious a little, getting more perspective on his encounter with Red, and starting the slide of memories of the Orange Pikmin coming back to him.**



 

  * **It's also likely that Red knew that Orange would not remember their conversation for some years, but that he would start to remember once it became important for him to do so. Such is the nature of fate.**



 

Orange snapped back to the dark of an inactive Spire Fortress, on the floor with Finned. He had just flashed back to meeting with Red as he was dying after the Battle of the Bomb-Fortress. But he had also briefly seen a separate memory of Orange Pikmin... He almost had remembered them. It seemed that the recent events had begun to kick forth things sealed in the back of his mind.

Finned: Orange, are you okay?

Orange: Yes. Are you?

Finned: Yeah.

The two picked themselves up. They were in the entrance area of Level 1 of Spire Fortress. The once white room was now darkened without a single light, only barely illuminated by the glass ceiling far up displaying the sky, but even that was mostly dark due to a storm. All of the screens along the walls were now completely blank, all of the holographic projectors had vanished. The humming of power and computerized sounds were gone, the fortress now eerily silent.

Orange and Finned headed on through the dark corridors, reaching the back of Level 1 and heading up the staircase to Level 2, journeying to another staircase leading to Level 3. Light Green was there, using some of his light energy to blow debris out of the way blocking passages.

Light Green: There you two are. I was on my way to find you.

Orange and Finned nodded, and they headed for the staircase to Level 4 as Light Green lit the way with light energy from his sword. Up on Level 4, many of the security drones were damaged or beaten, many more still barely active, starting to slow down greatly as they ran out of power, with a mechanical groaning from their bodies as they struggled to move. With the fortress offline, there was no hope for them to be recharged. Some were already powerless, standing still. The fortress was now like a graveyard for machines.

Light Green, Orange, and Finned briefly updated each other on recent events on the way up. Only 3 Pik Clones were left alive. Dark Rock, Rock, and Winged were using another Spectralid Carrier with an intact windshield to scout around the outside of the fortress for any sign of the Shadow Race. There had also been no sign of Dark Green's whereabouts inside the fortress.

The three joined the rest of the Pikmin and headed on up to Level 5. Dark Finned slipped away from the group and headed back down. Green took notice and quietly followed her. Everyone else, not noticing, kept a watchful eye of their surroundings, using Light Green's light energy to illuminate the corridors. Strangely, there was no sign of the Shadow Race anywhere. Where had they all gone?

 

  * **The Shadow Race that had been present in Spire Fortress fled from it out into Mamuta territory once the Cloaked Figure had emerged and begun to take possession of them.**



 

Light Green used his light energy to forcibly activate the elevator, carrying the group up to the top of the spire. They stepped out of the elevator to find the familiar sight of the open Portal Dome, but with no portal inside, the power surging through the Rift Shard having been cut off. This ensured that no more of the Shadow Race could get into this world.

 

  * **In my original outline, I had the Pik Group climbing up through the elevator shaft to get to the top of the spire. I'm not sure why I didn't keep that idea here, as it would have been more interesting. Perhaps I just forgot it.**



 

They also saw that the long window along the front of the room had been completely shattered, an eerie wind blowing into the room. They gazed out at the sky, seeing lightning strike through the dark clouds. The Spectralid Carrier flew past and downwards.

Finned: What happened here?

Light Blue: Can the Shadow Race break glass in their natural form?

Light Green: ...I don't know.

 

  * **They can't unless they have possessed a solid being. As will be confirmed in the next chapter, it was the Cloaked Figure's forces who smashed through the window.**



 

He then turned and walked over to the Portal Dome. There it was, the last Rift Shard, situated on the rod. Light Green aimed his sword, and with a burst of light energy, the last shard was destroyed.

Suddenly, the Spectralid Carrier then reappeared upwards. It barely squeezed through the shattered window into the room at the top of the spire. The Pik Group took steps back as it roughly parked in the room. A ramp lowered from it, and Dark Rock, Rock, and Winged emerged. But then, unexpectedly, Green and Dark Finned also emerged, the former holding a sword to the latter as she carried the second Rift Crystal.

Light Green: Where did you get that?!

Dark Finned looked down in silence as the five joined the Pik Group.

Green: I caught her leaving the group on the way up, so I followed her. She went to get this out of one of the rooms. I waited in the hangar for the vehicle to land again. They told me the window here was broken, so we decided to fly up here to get to you as quickly as possible.

Light Green nodded, but still looked sternly at Dark Finned, who still did not answer. Green held his sword to her more closely.

Green: Speak.

Dark Finned: I took it out of that device before Light Green destroyed it.

Light Green: Well, it must be destroyed now.

Orange suddenly stepped over to Dark Finned.

Orange: Wait... We shouldn't destroy it.

Light Green: I promised the World of Paradise that I would.

Orange: Well, you promised them that so it couldn't be used for evil. But we can use this for good.

Light Blue: In the hands of a Dark Pikmin?

Orange took the Rift Crystal from Dark Finned.

Orange: In the hands of the Pik Group.

Light Green: I'm sorry, Orange, but I don't think we have earned responsibility over it. I must destroy it now.

Orange: Well...

Orange stood for a moment, thinking, as the other Pikmin looked at him with reservation.

Orange: I am making the decision for this group, then. I am the leader, I always have been. We are keeping it.

White then stepped forward from the crowd.

White: I'm sorry, Orange, but you haven't always been. Technically, I'm supposed to be the leader now that Red is gone.

Orange: You were voted the leader for... a tropical vacation. Where have you been to take initiative in life or death the past six years? You have been perpetually indecisive and flip-flopping.

 

  * **This references back to the first chapter of the series, AoO1 Part 1: The Adventure Begins. White was voted in as a second in command to Red. But he has never stuck to a firm ground since then.**



 

Orange had gotten very unusually stern. White started to step back, but Dark Winged hovered over and pressed him as though to encourage him. So White began to step forward yet again.

 

  * **So White and Dark Winged's friendship is starting to pay off here, as Dark Winged is now encouraging White to take a stand for leadership.**



 

White: I have let you lead, we all have. But this time your decision calls your leadership into question. What do you intend to do with the Rift Crystal?

Orange stood for a moment in thought.

Orange: We can use this, create another portal, be prepared, go to the Shadow Race's realm and extinguish them.

At this, the Pikmin were struck with a mix of feelings. Fear for the future, wondering if Orange had lost his mind. Some feelings of support, in fact.

White: We cannot do that. We agreed to this adventure to stop the Dark Pikmin from using the Rift Crystal. We have already gotten our world filled with some of the Shadow Race as a result. We did this to defend our world, and now what we need to focus on is defending it. We need to eliminate the Shadow entities that have already entered this world. We cannot go on an offensive against their world. Think of the repercussions.

 

  * **White has always been the most reasonable of the Pikmin. He broke up fights in AoO1, and during the tension between Orange and Light Blue, he was willing to see both sides weigh in carefully. This time, however, instead of being a kind of mediator between two sides, he is rising up from that position to lead a side himself. This time, Orange's direction of lead has gone obviously too far even for White.**



 

Orange looked down for a moment, with some doubt in himself, but then shook his head and looked up again, enthusiasm and hope in his face.

Orange: I believe this is the right thing to do... When I was dying on the battlefield six years ago, I met with Red. He told me I had something important to do, that I had to go to a world of shadows. This is why I'm alive. This is... what I'm supposed to do. This is what we're supposed to do.

Much of the Pik Group now felt it was confirmed that Orange had indeed lost his mind. White shook his head and took a deep breath, knowing it was time for him to take on the burden he had long avoided.

 

  * **So White's reason-oriented stance and Orange's faith-oriented stance have firmly divided them into two sides.**



 

White: I am sorry, Orange... But I must relieve you of leadership.

 

  * **The idea of dividing the Pik Group against each other was an idea I had been interested in since incorporating it into Part 28 of AoO3, back when the group had initially become split between Orange's offensive-oriented plan versus White's defensive-oriented plan, which is very similar to what is dividing them even now. I had planned to have a "group division" like this in the Untold Story of The Adventure of Orange 6, but since I cancelled that story, I took the opportunity of AoOX to incorporate that idea here instead.**



 

Orange: Well, good luck trying.

White: You don't see it, do you? You have lost the trust of everyone here.

Orange: I doubt that.

White: Whoever will follow Orange's leadership, go stand with him now.

Rock and Winged moved away from where Orange was to join the rest of the Pik Group.

Rock: I'm sorry... but I trust White as a leader more.

Winged: We cannot bring chaos to other realms.

 

  * **At this point, Rock and Winged have never known Orange as a leader to really form a fair opinion of him on their own. They've only heard of the skepticism and criticism Orange has received. Their trust naturally orients more towards the Light Pikmin's leadership.**



 

Orange nodded. Finned moved over to join Orange. She made the equivalent of a smile.

Finned: You know I'm with you.

Orange made the equivalent of a smile back. Rock and Winged looked upset.

Rock: Come over with us, Finned!

Finned simply shook her head and gave them the saddened equivalent of a smile. Dark Finned, Dark Rock, and Green stood by Orange.

Dark Finned: I agree with your plan, Orange.

Dark Rock: Yeah, let's take this Rift Crystal.

Light Blue shook his head at the Dark Pikmin.

Light Blue: Naturally...

Orange: Light Blue... I thought we came to an understanding.

Light Blue closed his eyes, shook his head lightly, and then opened.

Light Blue: Orange... I have come to respect past decisions you've made. But what you intend to do now... is not the way.

Orange: But... what about what Red told me? You... have to believe me. I know how this sounds, but I have to believe. Just like we believed in Light Green's intuition.

 

  * **So even though Light Blue and Orange had come to an interpersonal reconciliation in Part 10, they still tend to be philosophically divided here. While Light Blue did ponder Orange's vision of Red with him, ultimately, Light Blue's pacifist, life-promoting instincts still refuse to endorse a destructive plan like this, especially as there is not more information on what Red is instructing Orange to do.**



 

Light Green shook his head.

White: Orange... Red would have never agreed to what you have proposed. We cannot follow a hallucination. And you know full well that Green Pikmin's intuition is more reliable over others'.

He then turned to Light Green.

White: So, what do you think?

Light Green: I'm sorry, Orange, but I must side with White on this one. I don't trust in following your course of action, especially as it's based only on your vision.

 

  * **Even though Light Green initially was aligned with Orange back in Part 5, now Light Green's promise to the Gray Spectralids to destroy the Rift Crystal from Part 16 takes priority.**



 

Orange looked down, filling with doubt.

Dark Rock: Well, are you guys coming over?

Dark Rock motioned towards some Pikmin on White's side. The Pik Clones started to head over, followed by, much to everyone's surprise, Light Rock, Light Winged, and Light Finned.

Light Green: Just where do you three think you're going?

Light Finned: Dark Rock is our friend!

Light Winged: We're not going to be in a Light Pikmin dictatorship!

Light Rock: Sorry!

 

  * **So here, Dark Rock's manipulation of the Light Pikmin newborns, in motion since the World of Paradise in Part 14, are now coming into effect.**



 

  * **You can also get a sense of the Light Pikmin newborns' personal dynamics in their choice of words. Light Winged is the most defiant against the Light Pikmin, while Light Finned is not strictly defiant but has a kind of fondness for the Dark Pikmin. And Light Rock is actually the character who is most in favor of the Light Pikmin, but of course he stays loyal to his two fellow newborn Lights, apologizing to the more mature ones he is parting from.**



 

The Pik Group was simply astounded by the three newbs as they joined Orange's side. Dark Rock made the equivalent of a devilish grin. It had worked! He had made history... He had turned Light Pikmin over to the Dark Pikmin's side! And yet, more history would be made than that, as Dark Winged remained on White's side.

Dark Finned: Dark Winged?

Dark Winged: I am going to stay with this group. They are correct, we cannot risk any more damage to our world through the Rift Crystal.

Dark Rock: ...Traitor!

Dark Winged: No, just smart.

 

  * **Likewise, Dark Winged's friendship with White building since Part 13 is also coming into effect.**



 

  * **The idea of Light Pikmin and Dark Pikmin splitting and aligning with one another was also a theme I had wanted to explore in the Untold Stories.**



 

Commander Alpha looked quite distressed by the division of Dark Pikmin.

Dark Winged: Commander... I order you to stay with me.

Dark Rock: Well I counter that order!

Dark Finned: So do I! Majority rules!

Dark Winged: We have never agreed to a majority rule.

Commander Alpha stood, torn.

Dark Winged: Commander... You are obeying Dark Pikmin no matter which way you choose. So make the most reasonable choice.

He nodded his head. He then looked to Green.

Commander Alpha: As I've come to learn recently, loyalty is not always simple. Sometimes... you must think for yourself.

He then looked to Dark Rock and Dark Finned and gave a bow.

Commander Alpha: I apologize, my master and mistress.

 

  * **Commander Alpha's concept of loyalty has been challenged since the Realm of Two Evils, going back to Part 11. Now, it's coming into fruition, as he must make a choice for himself - side with the majority of Dark Pikmin, or side with the singular but more rational Dark Pikmin?**



 

He then headed back over to White's group, motioning the 2 Pik Clone troops to follow him, and so they did. Dark Rock and Dark Finned watched, outraged. The Pik Clone commander then looked back to Green.

Commander Alpha: You know what to do.

Orange then looked to Green in confusion. Green stood, looking down and shaking his head.

 

  * **Commander Alpha is alluding back to his conversation with Green about loyalty from Part 16, when he told Green to reconsider his own notion of loyalty to Orange should he go in a direction Green disagrees with.**



 

Orange: Green?

Green: Orange...

There was what felt like a very long moment of pause as Orange waited, knowing and dreading what Green was going to say.

Green: It is not our place to interfere in other worlds.

 

  * **Green is echoing his philosophy from Parts 11 and 12 again.**



 

Orange: That didn't stop you from interfering in the world you were in.

Green: I did what I had to for our world... and for my friends.

 

  * **While Green was willing flexibly make an exception in Part 12 to help the Pik Group in the Realm of Two Evils, overall he still holds to his beliefs of sticking to one's own world and not meddling in the affairs of others. Green has no incentive to make an exception here, as Orange's quest to destroy the Shadow Race homeworld does not appear to help any of their friends - it is only a destructive quest to annihilate another race of entities.**



 

Orange shook his head. He had long considered Green his closest and most loyal friend.

Orange: I need your help, Green...

Green nodded.

Green: Sometimes, what a friend wants is not what's best for him.

Orange simply stood shocked and in disbelief as Green went to join White's group. The two groups stared each other down for a few moments.

 

  * **So here, Green makes his dramatic parting from Orange. This was something I always knew was going to happen in this story. Orange and Green have long been loyal to each other. Back in AoO3 Part 28 when the group was first divided, Green was the only one to stick with Orange. But now, Orange is taking things in a direction too far even for Green to follow.**



 

White: So this is your group, Orange. Misguided newborns.

Finned: And me.

White: What does that say about your group?

Orange looked down, with some doubt in himself, but then looked back to White.

Orange: Your group... traitors, mutineers.

 

  * **I always liked this exchange between White and Orange.**



 

Those in White's group simply shook their heads, as it seemed as though Orange was beyond reason.

White: ...Will you stand down, Orange? Or will you let us fall into chaos?

Orange stood for several moments in silence as he thought. And then he gave his answer.

Orange: ...It is already chaos.

 

  * **This is another subtle film reference, this time to the (at the time) recently released Battle of the Five Armies, when Bard asks "Will you have peace or war?" to Thorin who replies "I will have war!" Of course, chaos is more of a theme with The Adventure of Orange series, so this word usage is more appropriate.**



 

And with that, the Pikmin knew he was not changing. And with that, it began: Light Green aimed his sword forward and launched a burst of light energy. Finned jumped and pushed Orange onto the floor, dodging the blast, as the two Dark Pikmin and three Light Pikmin behind scattered to avoid it.

The three Light Pikmin newbs got up angrily. Having gotten used to some control of their powers through Light Green's past direction, they each threw several bursts of light energy back at White's group, who scattered and were thrown back as light bursts flew past them and hit the floor near them. Tables and computers lying across the room from the last battle went flying around as they were hit. White's group scrambled to avoid injury.

Finned helped Orange up and the two hurried up the ramp into the Spectralid Carrier with Dark Rock. Dark Finned turned towards the three Light Pikmin.

Dark Finned: Come on!

Light Rock, Light Winged, and Light Finned hurried up the ramp, throwing a few light bursts behind them. The ramp closed up as Dark Rock took the controls. Outside, Light Green and Light Blue prepared to attack the aircraft with their own light bursts, but Dark Rock quickly started up and scraped it across the floor, bumping the two back.

Dark Rock: Hahahaha! Take that!

Orange: Come on! We need to go NOW!

It then hit Orange that trying to lead a bunch of young, unwise Pikmin was going to be difficult.

Dark Rock: Okay, okay!

He scraped the Carrier backwards across the floor, out the window, and turned it, flying it through the stormy sky away from the top of the spire. Light Green and Light Blue tried to a hurl a few light bursts towards it, but they couldn't hit it, and at last, they gave up. White's group regathered.

 

  * **It seems that in my original outlines, I was going to have Light Green destroy the World of Paradise's portable portal-opener here in this scuffle. However, I must have found it more logistically natural to have him destroy it at the end of Part 16.**



 

White: We can't let them use the Rift Crystal. We need to take another flying vehicle and pursue them.

They all nodded, and following White's lead, they headed to the elevator, which Light Green and Light Blue powered with their light energy. They rode down to Level 4, quickly ran through the now completely lifeless fortress into the hangar. They started up another Spectralid Carrier and flew it out of the busted-out door in the hangar. By the time they were out, Orange's group was long gone, out of sight.

 

  * **That should probably be "They rode down to level 4, and quickly ran through"...**



 

White: Let's go back to the allied territory. We need to tell the Bulborbs and Wollywogs what's up.

The beaten Spire Fortress long behind them, the Pikmin were now on the next stage of their adventure. Team Orange, joined by Finned, Dark Finned, Dark Rock, Light Rock, Light Winged, and Light Finned. And Team White, joined by Green, Light Blue, Light Green, Rock, Winged, Dark Winged, and the Pik Clones. The long-united Pik Group was no more.

 

  * **Indeed, the Pik Group will never really be united again after this during this adventure, though they will make amends once all is said and done.**



 

  * **An interesting thing that will be realized later in the final chapter is that there is a bit of truth to the driving philosophies of both Orange and White. I will say more about this later as the final chapters unfold. But ultimately, reason and faith are to be reconciled.**



 

  * **This marks the end of the second act of The Adventure of Orange X. It began in Part 9 with Orange starting to remember his encounter with Red, the beginning of the journey to collect the Rift Shards, and the fight to close Spire Fortress's portal. And in Part 18, in contrast, it ended with Orange fully remembering his encounter with Red, with the last of the Rift Shards being destroyed, and Spire Fortress defunct. So this is a pretty fitting closing, I think. This is also the last chapter in which we will see Spire Fortress.**



 

  * **I think this also sets things up nicely for the third and final act of this story, beginning in the next chapter. The group is split down two different paths in the final showdown with the Shadow Race, as Orange tries to piece together his past.**




End file.
